It's that time of year when the beautiful white elderflowers are decorating local hedgerows. Not only do these delicate blossoms look pretty & smell gorgeous, they also make the most delicious cordial. And if you make the cordial now & store it correctly it will keep for many months giving you a taste of Summer throughout the year.
To make Elderflower Cordial you'll need to collect around 20 or so flower heads each holding clusters of tiny white flowers. Before collecting them it's important to consider a few things. Make sure the flowers are growing wild & not in someone's garden, only collect flowers from trees away from a main road so they're not affected by traffic fumes, & make sure the flowers you collect are well above dog height!
When picking the flowers make sure you only collect the fresh white flower heads which have a delicate scent. Any tiny flowers which are brown or have no scent will be no good for making a cordial.
Did you know that the flowers have a different scent & taste on certain days? If you can, try collecting your elderflowers on a warm sunny day when their scent will be sweeter rather than on a dull cold day, when the scent is less intense.
When collecting flower heads, or foraging for any wild food, always make sure there are plenty of other blooms left for the birds & wildlife.
To prepare the flowers gently shake each flower head outdoors to remove any bugs or insects. Don't wash the flowers though, as you'll just be washing the pollen away.
To make the cordial you'll need:
20 prepared elderflower heads
2 large unwaxed lemons (grated & juiced)
450g caster sugar
1 heaped teaspoon of citric acid (available from chemists)
850ml boiling water
Plus
2 cooking pans (with lids)
Jug & ladle
A muslin square/ clean teatowel
3 sterilised glass bottles/containers (We recycled some glass lemonade bottles)
To sterilise containers you can either pop them in a dishwasher, or wash them in hot soapy water, rinse well, & place them on a clean baking sheet in an oven (140C or 120C for fan ovens) until completely dry.
Start by boiling the water in a pan. Then add the elderflowers & lemon zest before placing lid on top. Leave the contents of the pan to infuse overnight.
When you remove the lid from the pan the next day you'll notice the colour of the mixture has changed to a light honey colour. You're now ready to strain the mixture. Place a muslin/teatowel over a clean pan & ladle the elderflowers & liquid onto the cloth.
The flowers should sit in the muslin while the liquid drains through.
When you have transferred all the clear liquid remove the muslin.
Add the sugar, lemon juice & citric acid to the pan & simmer the contents for 5-10mins.
Using a jug, carefully pour the Elderflower Cordial into your sterilised bottles & set aside to cool.
Once cool, store your bottles in the fridge, they should keep for up to 6 weeks.
If you wish to keep the cordial for longer you can freeze it (just cordial no water) in ice-cube trays & use it when required. We froze some cordial last year & enjoyed it over the Winter months for a taste of Summer.
To make a refreshing drink just dilute with chilled water, or create your own Homemade Sparkling Elderflower by adding carbonated water instead.
This tasty homemade recipe has been a winner with all ages & just perfect for Summer parties.
A great recipe to make with children (obviously with adult supervision) & a lovely reminder of what nature has to offer us.
If you liked this you might also like our Elderflower Clay.