Elderflower Cordial
Elderflower cordial © kvalifood.com
Recipe with video - A classic every spring. Dark elderberry cordial is great, but who can wait six months for the flowers to become berries and the berries to ripen? Not me! It’s easy to make and everyone likes it.
Ingredients
- 20 large elderflower heads, stems removed
- 2 lemons
- 1 kg light brown sugar, or 1 kg raw cane sugar, or 200 g dark brown sugar + 800 g plain sugar
- 1 l water
Instructions
Bring the water to a boil.
Slice the lemons into thin rounds.
Remove the stems from the elderflower heads. This is easiest with scissors.
Turn off the heat and add all ingredients to the pot.
Leave to steep for 4 days.
Strain it and pour into old soda bottles or glass bottles. It’s best to strain through cheesecloth, muslin, or a clean tea towel.
Store in the fridge or freezer.
Dilute to your preferred strength before drinking.
Notes
20 elderflower heads is roughly 250 g with stems. Or what fits loosely packed into a 4-litre container. One full shopping bag gives about 5 batches.
If you’re not steeping in the pot you cooked in, make sure to scald the container first. You can also rinse it with a sterilising solution.
The stems make the cordial bitter, so remove as much as you can. The same goes for the white pith of the lemons. You can avoid this by peeling off just the yellow zest and adding that, then cutting away the white pith before slicing the lemon flesh and adding it.
Normally people don’t bother with this for the lemons.
There is 50% sugar in the cordial, which should make it self-preserving and able to keep somewhere cool. However, there is a risk of mould. If the cordial turns cloudy or unclear, do not drink it. This is best avoided by keeping it in the freezer or fridge. Or by adding a preservative such as potassium metabisulfite.
Alcohol-free elderflower cider
If you use organic lemons, or wash regular lemons well in hot water and soap, you can use ½ litre of this cordial and 1½ litres of water in a 2-litre soda bottle to make elderflower cider. See my cider recipe here.