30 Jun 2006
Making Elderflower Cordial While the Sun Shines….
As per the annual family tradition, we started making this year’s elderflower cordial when most of the elderflowers were past their best. It is lovely to reconnect to these gorgeous creamy flowers and the unique smell of sun drenched elderflowers. I have just been picking off the flowers and my fingers are a lovely greeny yellow colour from the pollen. Here is our family recipe. Who it actually came from is lost in the mists of time, scrawled in the back of one of our cook books, but it does make a fine cordial.
**Elderflower Cordial.**
20 heads elderflower (as little green bits as possible)
Pick when the sun is on them and take off the tiny flowers with a fork/fingers…
3lb sugar
2 ½ oz citric acid.
2 lemons (sliced or squeezed)
On top of that pour 1 ½ litres of boiling water.
Stir two times a day for 5 days.
Strain and bottle (using an ordinary strainer)
Dilute to drink….
Easy peasy. Lovely with ice on a summers day. Summer in a bottle. Of course you can do lots of other things with elderflowers, champage, wine, fritters, and so on. If you have a favourite recipes, do send them in….
Stephen Watson
30 Jun 2:07pm
Where do I get hold of Citric Acid? 🙂
Rob
30 Jun 2:08pm
You can usually buy it in chemists shops. It comes in packets and isn’t expensive. Good luck!
Sinbad Wilmot
4 Jul 7:55am
Called in on my Aunt in Kilkenny last Friday and my 4 year old daughter had a great time helping her make elderflower cordial, very pleasant it is too (she gave us a bottle from a previous batch). Quantities were slightly different but principle the same. Good stuff!
Candace Frey
25 May 4:49pm
Just learned of this from a gentlemen who visited our farm and saw all the elder flower plants on our property. He had been to England and had this delightful drink and told me where to obtain the recipe. Serving elder flower cordial will be a wonderful addition to our B&B amenities. Thank you so very muuch.
RICHAD
5 Jun 5:16pm
HI MY SELF LIKE THE DRINK OF IT SO
I WOOD THINK IT WOOD BE GOOD AS A COLD
DRINK FOR CHILDREN SO DID I
John Grice
5 Jun 7:15pm
Thank you for this recipe. I was out walking today and noticed an abundance of elderflower and remembered the elderflower cordial my friends used to make 20 years ago. I will have a go at this recipe.
John Tucker
23 Jun 8:48pm
Thanks for saying exactly how much citric acid – other recipies tend to say “a packet”, whatever that might be!