Grow Your Own Magazine

I'm thinking of making this at the weekend as the elders are in blossom now.

Elderflower Cordial and Other Elderflower Drinks

Great tip on freezing cordial to make it last longer!

Has anyone made these before? Any advice?

I made a very similar recipe last year, which I'm just about to start again, and mine kept for absolutely ages without going mouldy - was I just lucky I wonder? I put it in screwtop bottles in a dark cupboard, but it wasn't that cold. Hmmm, just looked out my recipe, which was:

2lb caster sugar
1 1/4 oz (30g) citric acid
1 lemon
15-20 elderflower heads
Put sugar in large heatproof bowl and add 1 pint boiling water. Stir until sugar dissolved. Grate rind from lemon and add to bowl with citric acid. Slice rest of lemon and add with the elderflowers. Cover and stand for around 12 hours. Strain through muslin and pour into screwtop bottles. Refridgerate once opened.

Of course this could be identical to the once you saw - I only looked at it very briefly, but thought it was worth adding this one as it was soooo good. Knocks spots off the stuff you can buy, even the better ones. I have a friend who freezes her cordial, so yes you're right, that's a good tip.

Happy elderflower gathering!

sorry going to possibly sound really dim now!every year mean to make some but by time get round to the flowers are berries!!LOL the recipe above;is that cordial that you would then dilute to taste?was the only thing i could drink when pregnant with my 1st & would love to try making it.

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Yes, dilute to taste.

I will def try this as the ones in the shops are lovely and if pipscarid reckons homemade is even better then it's well worth it - I know what you mean about never getting the time to gather the flowers tho andi&di!

Hi Vicky, Moved your thread over

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

You can definitely freeze it as I did last year. I used plastic drinks bottles and filled them 3/4 full then just popped them in the freezer. We were drinking it into the autumn which was lovely. Have just made a batch today and it's currently steeping. Will strain & bottle up tomorrow, mmmm looking foirward to it already. I'm going to try & be adventurous with it this year and use it for making ice cream etc.

I'm making up a batch right now. The recipe I am following says to stir it twice a day for five days and then bottle it up. I hope that is safe. I also wonder if one can use less sugar for a low-sugar version....?

That seems a long time to have to have it 'on the go'? The recipe I gave above was very (well, quite!) quick. I wonder how it differs? Not sure about using less sugar, as presumably that helps it keep?


I diluted it about 1 of cordial to 8ish water - fizzy is lovely! Yes, go for it, it's sooooo fab!

A friend of my son's was such a fan of my homemade elderflower that he took some persuading to go back to Bottle Greens version. The homemade is more fragrant and lemony, mmm, must get out there and pick some elderflowers, I have my eye on a few bushes, have to get there before someone else does!

Made it!!&just in time as all the flowers round here have started to turn!had a surprise visit from my mum & hadn't been out to get her a b'day presssie so gave her a bottle,just wish i'd made more now!don't think i'll need to be freezing any!was very nice with "plain"water,fizzy stuff @ top of my shopping list(how i used to drink it when pregnant)

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

I've just realised I have 4 elderflower trees in my garden and although I have absolutely no idea what elderflower cordial or wine tastes like, I think I'll try this!

Is there an optimum time of day for picking the flowers, and what does it mean when they "turn"?

Ness

not sure if thers a best time of day to pick them,.in my experience the flowers dont last toolong before they die off(turn brown)&turn to berries,the cordial is well worth making.really refreshing.

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

I've picked them at different times of day, with success for all of them. If it's a hot day it's probabably best done either early or late, due to the amount of insects on them Make sure the flowers are rinsed well to wash out any beasties!

I've noticed that around here the elder bushes vary widely in their flowering times - some still had flowers on in August last year, I made my last batch then, so don't panic if you think you've missed them, just keep scanning those hedgerows.

Despite my best intentions I didn't get around to picking any this weekend, must get it done this week (along with all those other jobs!).

Too much to do to be on here, so I'm off.....!

[quote=pipscariad;242362]I've picked them at different times of day, with success for all of them. If it's a hot day it's probabably best done either early or late, due to the amount of insects on them Make sure the flowers are rinsed well to wash out any beasties!
Woops!..Sorry mum!

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

I'm sure I read somewhere to pick them at their most fragrant - afternoon?
Anyway I picked this weekend (when I had time, never mind the best time!) and have made some following Pipscaraids method (shortest as we're not patient!) and the champagne method, both are bottled and some frozen and I have to say they both tasted FANTASTIC!!!

Fabulous! I picked up sugar and a lemon today, just went to make it and realised I have no citric acid!
Where do I buy this from as just been to Tesco and couldn't find any in the cooking aisle... do I need to go to a specialist kitchen shop?

Thanks everyone!

Ness

got mine from the local chemist.cheaper than i was expecting(87p!)

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Thanks heaps, will pop in to town tomorrow and see if our chemist has it.
Cheers!!