Friday 5 July 2013

... and Homemade Elderflower Cordial

While out hunting for flowers to use in my flower press I found some elderflower bushes, so decided to collect some to make cordial!
There are different recipes out there, which are a variation on a theme, and here's the version I tried out...

Ingredients
  • Elderflower heads (approx 30 stems)
  • Zest & juice of 3 lemons
  • 1kg granulated sugar
  • 1.5 litres water
  • 1 tsp citric acid (optional)
Take your flower heads, remove any leaves etc and give them a shake to get rid of any creepy crawlies! 
Put the flower heads in a large pot with the lemon zest. Other flavour options could be lime or orange zest.
Boil the water and pour over the flowers, cover and leave overnight.
Strain the mix with a muslin or fine sieve and add the lemon juice. At this stage it is optional to add citric acid, which helps the cordial keep for longer. I had a bit of trouble finding citric acid, but bought it from the pharmacy in the end!
Heat the clear liquid and add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. I'd suggest adding the sugar in stages, as then you can taste and use less if preferred.

Pour into well-sealed sterilised bottles and enjoy! This is a great refreshing drink served with sparkling water or lemonade and ice. For an extra kick it also works well with vodka or gin!

Elderflowers are generally out in bloom in June/July so I may have to collect some more and try out some other recipes... I hear they work well in shortbread too!

We are linking up to these parties!

10th July '13: Update - this recipe was put to good use by Musings of a Hostage Mother!
15th July '13: Update - this recipe was featured here at Frugal Fit Family
23rd July '13: Update - this post was featured here at Family Home & Life
Family Home and Life

21 comments:

  1. That looks lovely, I hope it tasted nice.

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    1. Thanks Lucy, it was lovely to drink in the sunshine!! x

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  2. I haven't made elderflower cordial for years - brings back happy memories of past sunny summers :)

    Elderflowers are also great with gooseberries - lovely if you put a head of flowers with gooseberries in a pie.

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    1. Thanks for the tip Jane, will have to try them out with gooseberries! x

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  3. Don't forget to make cough syrup!

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    1. Never tried that before! Will have to do a Pinterest search :) x

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  4. I made some last year. It was truly yummy.

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    1. I wasn't sure how it would turn out... but it is actually very nice!!

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  5. We make Elderflower cordial every year. I watch for the flowers coming into bloom. Have just been and picked around 60 heads and have left them to soak overnight with orange and lemon zest. I use Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's recipe and it turns up a treat. we also use it to make elderflower ice cream, which is fantastic served with raspberries and shortbread.

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    1. Ooh Elderflower ice cream sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing x

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  6. I love Elderflower Cordial and I must try making some, homemade is always the best. x

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  7. oooh yum! i've been thinking of having a go at this myself as there are so many flowers around at the moment... thank you for sharing your experiences! x

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    1. I'd definitely recommend giving it a go!! x

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  8. Great reacipe, I made two batches of this over the weekend...fantastic! I have also used it added to salad dressing and will be adding a few spoons to my gooseberry jam this weekend.

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    1. Thanks Joanna, what a great idea to use it for salad dressing & jam! Thanks for the mention on your post too :) x

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  9. Yum! We shared this with our FB followers at homesteadlady.com.

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    1. Thanks very much for sharing on Facebook Tessa! x

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  10. That looks so yummy! Thanks for linking up to the Thrifty Thursday link party!

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  11. Thanks for the invite Cathy. We have linked up to your party & added your details to our 'crafty friends' tab!! x

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