Alison Day Designs: elderflower

Wednesday, 3 July 2024

Nature's Cordial

A little later than last year, but it's that time again...

Time to make elderflower cordial. A simple and satisfying process, from picking the blooms to bottling and makes a lovely gift for sharing.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg white sugar, either granulated or caster

1 lemon

13 fresh elderflower heads trimmed

42g (10 tsp) citric acid

800 ml water

Put the sugar and 800 ml water into a large saucepan. Gently heat, without boiling, until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally. Pare the zest from the lemon using a potato peeler, then slice the lemon into rounds.

Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the pan of syrup to the boil, then turn off the heat.

In a bowl of cold water, swish the flowers around to loosen any dirt or bugs. Gently shake off excess water before transferring to the syrup, along with the lemon slices zest and citric acid, then stir well.

Cover the pan and infuse for 24 hrs.

Strain through a tea towel over a large bowl or pan. Discard the bits left in the towel. Use a funnel and a ladle to fill sterilised bottles that have been rinsed and dried in a low oven.

The cordial is ready to drink straight away and will keep in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.

Recipe makes 1400ml, approx 2 x 75cl bottles.

Website: Alison Day Designs

Saturday, 23 July 2016

Elderflower Magic

When I was a child, during often during the summer we would go to local farms and pick whatever fruits were in season. One for me, one for the basket, was the way my siblings and I passed the time. The visit would end with us, red-mouthed and feeling slightly sick. On other times we would forage in the hedgerows of the country lanes for: wild blackberries, sloes, elderflowers and their berries.
From all this produce, my mother would conjure up jams and jellies, pies, crumbles, puddings and elderflower champagne. Whilst in the basement, my father would wizard up bottles of elderflower wine and sloe gin.

Elderflower champagne was a family tradition and made by my mother. It was exciting to us kids, because it was fizzy, contained a small amount of alcohol and we were allowed to drink it! That coupled with the fact that once made, it had to be stored in sturdy, brown glass bottles with a screw top—because it might explode. Sometimes it did and the mess was extraordinary.
Within a couple of weeks, the elderflower champagne was ready to drink and often accompanied lunch in the garden. Served in dimpled half-pint beer tankards or long drink glasses.

This summer, from the elderflower tree in my garden, I have conjured up five bottles of the wonderful elixir and am sipping on a glassful as I write.