Elderflower cordial is perfect for sunny summer days as it is so fragrant and refreshing. It’s a good lockdown activity too. Make sure to use your elderflowers pretty soon after they have been picked. The are best picked early in the morning on a warm day. Aim for flower heads that have only recently opened and arent yellowing/browning. Always make sure to leave several open flowers on each tree for the insects, we only ever pick 2-3 from a tree before moving on 🙂

Ingredients

750g demerara sugar
1 unwaxed lemon
12 fresh elderflower heads
40g citric acid

Method

Mix the sugar and 750ml water in a large saucepan and gently heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Zest the lemon then slice into rounds.

Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to the boil and turn off the heat. We dont rinse the elderflowers as we find it weakens the flavour of the flowers and any bugs get removed when filtering the cordial later on. However if you wish to, gently wash the elderflowers to remove any dirt or bugs. Add the flowers to the syrup along with the lemon slices, zest and citric acid. Cover the pan and leave to infuse for 24 hours.

Strain the mixture through a muslin cloth into your chosen bottle. Dilution rate is 1:10. Elderflower cordial is tasty with ice cold water, sparkling water or even prosecco for special occasions 😉. Stores for 6 weeks in the fridge.