Elderflower

icecreamdogpark

Is it time to make Elderflower cordial ? If so has anyone a recipe ?,we have lots of it just flowering over the woods! well i thin k it`s Elderflower is small and creamy unlike another similiar plant over there

pookiewn

Elderflowers are creamy, with a slight tinge of green behind them, at least the just blossomed ones are. My Elder tree is covered in flowers, can't decide between cordial or elderberry mead!

Smoffi

With thanks to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (River Cottage)

this is what I use to make mine...
If you want to make a slight more % batch.. decrease the water by 1L

Ingredients
4 litres hot water
700g sugar
Juice and zest of four lemons
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
About 15 elderflower heads, in full bloom
A pinch of dried yeast (you may not need this)
Method: How to make elderflower champagne
1. Put the hot water and sugar into a large container (a spotlessly clean bucket is good) and stir until the sugar dissolves, then top up with cold water so you have 6 litres of liquid in total.
2. Add the lemon juice and zest, the vinegar and the flower heads and stir gently.
3. Cover with clean muslin and leave to ferment in a cool, airy place for a couple of days. Take a look at the brew at this point, and if it’s not becoming a little foamy and obviously beginning to ferment, add a pinch of yeast.
4. Leave the mixture to ferment, again covered with muslin, for a further four days. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with muslin and decant into sterilised strong glass bottles with champagne stoppers (available from home-brewing suppliers) or Grolsch-style stoppers, or sterilized screw-top plastic bottles (a good deal of pressure can build up inside as the fermenting brew produces carbon dioxide, so strong bottles and seals are essential).
5. Seal and leave to ferment in the bottles for at least a week before serving, chilled. The champagne should keep in the bottles for several months. Store in a cool, dry place.

purpleheather2810

That recipe for Elderflower Champagne sounds great - I might try it - but if you want to make elderflower cordial then here's the recipe my mum always made and I now use:

Elderflower and Orange Cordial

25 heads of elderflower, washed gently
3lb sugar
3 pints water
2oz citric or tartaric acid
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 oranges, thinly sliced

Put everything into a large pan and stir well. Leave for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Strain and bottle in sterilised bottles (pop or grolsch bottles).
Store in a cool dry place.
Enjoy!

I normally make double quantity because we love it so much

izzwizz_2

Aww, you're all so lucky. Just went to see our elders growing around the garden and they are just buds so far. I'll have to wait a while yet, but will definitley have a go at the elderflower cordial recipe above - thank you for sharing

lovelife_3

Yes, thank you, i feel inspired to have a go too, brought back childhood memories as my grandparents always made elderflower champagne :T

lovelife_3

Afterthought, Is it alcoholic?

Barneysmom

Where do we get 2oz citric or tartaric acid please?

icecreamdogpark

Citric acid can be lemon juice i think? I dont think it`s alchololic

izzwizz_2

lovelife wrote: »

Afterthought, Is it alcoholic?

Yes of course :beer:

Smoffi

yes it is slightly alcoholic if you make it that way..
citric acid = lemon juice...

I have already got 1 batch brewing in bottles.. (14 of them) lol..
1st batch of Nettle Beer is brewing in container..
2nd batch of elderflower champagne is going to be started tonight!!

NOTE: Make sure you have enough bottles (washed pop bottles work fine) in 1 week after starting it brewing!!

Also once you have left it in the container for 1 week.. then make sure every 2-3 days after bottling you release the pressure of the bottles!! otherwise you will have a sticky room and not much to drink (I had 4 explode last year) lol