Elderflowers?

pandora205

Could someone please give me a link to a recipe for elderflower champagne? I have them growing in my garden and missed the best last year so didn't try.

There seems to be conflicting advice about using lemonade bottles, IKEA stopper ones etc. and we don't drink Grolsch. What do people use please?

Thanks

janibrown

I just use empty fizzy drinks bottles the plastic ones and relese some of the gas every other day they work fine for me and no accidents
Well not yet anyway

Mojisola

We've always used plastic fizzy drink bottles. You can feel when you need to release a bit of gas because the plastic gets harder with the increased pressure inside.

If you're giving the champagne away as gifts the posher bottles look nicer.

This - https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A593363 - is a good recipe.

Our elderflowers are just coming out this week.

pandora205

Thanks janibrown and Mojisola. My elderflowers are out now and look very healthy so I can't wait to give this a try. The only problem is we'll have to drink some fizzy first (as I don't usually buy it - The kids think it's Christmas here!) I'll give the BBC recipe a go and keep my eye on the bottles afterwards.

Mojisola

pandora205 wrote: »

Thanks janibrown and Mojisola. My elderflowers are out now and look very healthy so I can't wait to give this a try. The only problem is we'll have to drink some fizzy first (as I don't usually buy it - The kids think it's Christmas here!) I'll give the BBC recipe a go and keep my eye on the bottles afterwards.

We don't drink fizzy drinks, either. I ask around family and friends for their empties.

alixandrea

Just wanted to say that here in Cambridge the elder is also starting to come into flower. We have loads in the edges of our front drive/side access path and although some of the flowers have yet to arrive, several heads are now flowering. :-) I blame the weather - no rain here now for weeks and weeks!!

Alixandrea

ceridwen

_pale_:think: - Well - I've just had my first go at making elderflower cordial. Whatever the result is like - I dont somehow think I will be making it again.....

I did read a comment in one of the recipes for this I came across about "Shake the elderflower umbels in case of small insects lodging in them - ie to remove them". I'd had one or two attempts at making things with elderflowers before now - and hadnt read that.

So - I shook them...and shook them...and shook them.........

Errr.....little insects DID fall out - loads of them and then more loads of them and then....:eek:.

I decided to be brave and keep on shaking numerous times - until I couldnt spot any more shaken out and then make it up as per plan. I did so and went to strain it this morning and - lo and behold - there was still insects there (this time in the liquid).

So I strained and I strained and I strained again (this time through muslin).

I THINK I've got rid of them all now:eek::(:eek:. not sure whether I will bother to try drinking this somehow....and certainly won't be making it again.....

floyd

Just to report back, I went elderflower picking yesterday and although I got enough for a double batch of champagne and one of cordial they were still fairly hard to come by and it involved alot of climbing I think by next weekend they will be laden with flowers but I will be busy packing for my hols so I thought I'd best get my brew on and burped for a week before I go to spare my neighbours from an elderflower shower up the walls!

I use the HFW recipe for both champagne and cordial, the champagne recipe was previously published with far too much sugar in it but it has since been rectified to the correct amount (700g in 6 litres) so if you see pre-2010 reports that the recipe is syrupy, far too sweet and causes explosions then it will be down to the recipe being incorrect at that time.

Ceridwen, after a while you do get a little less freaked out by finding beasties floating its the same as making bramble jelly, I know there are probably tons of wigglers inside the berries but because its strained I dont mind that I'm potentially consuming bug juice as long as I cant see them
When I make the champagne, I don't shake them at all because I don't want to lose any of the lovely yeast that starts the brew, just wait for the beasties to drown then filter them out before bottling.

daz501

If it is necessary to use yeast, what kind should it be, and in what quantity?

Pee

The recipe says that it might be needed. It does sound straightforward. Hmm, looking forward to trying it.