We made our first batch of Elderflower cordial a week ago and while some remains in the freezer, we did defrost some so I decided that I really should make another batch while the elderflowers are still in flower so I donned the wellies (sod’s law, elderflowers seem to grow above nettles) and out I went with my scissors to pick about 60 heads of elderflowers.

I got the recipe here and doubled it, using a huge saucepan. The children enjoyed zesting the lemons and counting in the heads of elderflowers.

The recipe for one batch is

20-30 elderflower heads

1.5 kg of sugar

2 litres of boiling water

2-4 lemons and/or limes

50g of citric acid – available in chemists

Gather your flowers (not from roadside trees, too polluted). Gently shake them to remove tiny insects.

Make up a syrup by pouring the boiling water over the sugar in a large pan. Keep stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Thickly slice the lemons and limes and add these to the pan (you can zest these first and add that too if preferred – I used oranges and lemons as that was what I had).

Stir in the citric acid. Now add the elderflowers. Cover the pan with a cloth and leave the mixture to steep for 24-48 hours.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve or muslin (I found muslin took too long so just used a sieve) to remove flowers and fruit. Bottle in very clean bottles using a funnel.

Glass bottles are best but you can also use plastic ones too, and then pop them in the freezer. Apparently they will keep in glass bottles in a dark cupboard for up to 2 years – I guess it is the huge amount of sugar and the citric acid too!

I initally diluted it to the same strength as I would blackcurrant squash (prob 1:10 ratio of water to blackcurrant) but that was too weak and it just didn’t taste nice at all. But I found a ratio of 1:5 or 1:6 water to elderflower cordial perfect and the good thing about making your own is that you are aware just how much sugar goes into these drinks! It is gorgeous with sparkling water too by the way.  Another brilliant fact about making your own cordial is the scent that fills the kitchen and the house every time you give the mixture a stir during the 48 hours of waiting – beautiful.

Now, I wasn’t organised enough to take a photo of the finished product and am awaiting some from this batch so took this one from this site to tickle your tastebuds and persuade you to go and pick your own before they are all gone.

Did you ever find when you were little that there were certain words you just couldn’t remember? Kate’s word seems to be elderflower and as we drive along and she spots them along the roadside, she calls them ‘cordial bushes’!

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