I think it's safe to say that summer is knocking at our door, when elderflowers start to blossom! It feels as though they are blossoming slightly later this year, but generally we can look out for them in May/June. I was so excited to see the fresh white blooms just a few days ago that I knew I needed to share my recipe and herald in our British summer with this deliciously satisfying cordial.
I love elderflower, mostly because they grow almost anywhere making them natures free gift accessible to all! They grow in hedgerows, by the side of the road, between paving slabs meaning the sweet, pungent fragrance can be smelt most places across the UK. They are a foragers delight, literally falling from our hedgerows, you can't get more British than elderflower cordial!
You will be pleased to know, that not only is elderflower perfect for a warm summer evening beverage, researchers have also found that it is high in vitamin C and the berries contain powerful neuraminidase inhibiting chemicals which ward off or lessen the symptoms of flu. That's good news!
Be sure to only use the flowers or berries, the leaves and bark are bad news for us humans. Just to be on the safe side, if you do use the berries in autumn, I'd cook them up.
Elderflower is easy to spot because it grows in large white bowl shaped bunches and you'll want to pick them before they start going yellow or going over their best. If you do, your cordial will most likely have a bitter taste and that's definitely not what you want. It's probably best not to pick them if they overhang a busy road either, they'll be covered in fuel fumes which again is not what you want!
Just for forward planning, citric acid can be found in some pharmacies or you can easily find it online for a good price.
Here's how to make Elderflower Cordial:
Ingredients
1KG/ 1 Bag of granulated sugar
1100 mls water/ 1 ltr + 100ml
50g citric acid
Rind of 2 lemons
1 1/2 lemons
x2 colanders of elderflower or 30/40 heads of elderflower
Instructions
Pour your water into a large saucepan and add all the sugar and slowly bring to the boil. Once boiled take it off the heat.
Add your elderflower (washed), citric acid lemon rind and one and a half of lemon (sliced) to the water.
Leave the liquid in the large bowl or saucepan, cover with a cloth and put it in a dark cool place for 24 hours.
Strain your liquid by putting a muslin cloth over a colander so that the cloth holds back all the small petals and won't end up in your cordial.
Poor into sterilised bottles. Putting some of your bottles in the freezer will mean you can stretch it throughout the year, otherwise the cordial should last up to three months.