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We've got a big Elderflower Tree that overhangs into the garden. I can see the flower buds forming and every year I think, right I'll make some Elderflower Wine this year, but I never do..... has anyone got a real easy recipe for Elderflower Wine please

1 pint elderflowers
1 gallon water
3 1/2lbs white suger
1/2lb raisins
juice of 3 lemons
yeast
nutient

Collect flowers on a sunny date when fully open and trim from the stems. Bring water to the boil and pour over the flowers, add sugar, chopped raisins and lemon juice. When cool add yeast and nutrient. Leave to ferment in a warm place for a week, strain into a demi john, fit an airlock and leave to ferment. When it clears siphon if off the deposit, wait 2 months and then filter and bottle.

Don't forget elderberry wine is also very nice. We are going to try elderberry port this year.

Here's another one to try:

1 litre elderflowers picked on a dry sunny day, free from stalk and green.
1 pint white grape juice concentrate
800 grams white sugar
3.5 litres water
2 tsp citric acid
1/2 tsp tannin
campden tablets
nutrient
sauternes yeast


Pout 2 litres hot water onto the flowers and macerate them wiht a wooden spoon. When cool stir in the acid, tannin and 1 crushed campden tablet. Cover and leave in a warm place, macerate the petals daily for 4 days.
Dissolve the grape juice concentrate and sugar in 1 litre warm water and strain the flower water into the syrup.
Stir in the nutrient and yeast, pour into a fermentation jar, top up with cold boiled water, fit an air lock and ferment to SG 1.015.
Rack into a clean jar and add 2 crushed campden tables to terminate fermentation.

Bernie aka DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Thanks to both of you Borage, I'd love to have your recipe for Elderberry Wine/Port if you have one you wouldn't mind sharing

elderberry port

2lb elderberrys
1lb Oranges
7 pints water
1/4 oz brewers yeast
3lb sugar

method
strip the berries and put in a clean bucket
peel the oranges and slice the fruit, discard the skin.
bring the water to the boil and pour over the berries and oranges
allow to cool, once lukewam strain the fruit through some good muslim into a demijohn.
add the sugar to 1/2 a pint of boilng water and stir till it has dissolved
then add this to the demijohn
sprinkle the yeast into the liquid give a good shake and add a air lock and watch it go mad shortly afterwards.
after a few days when the bubbling has slowed down top up the demijohn to the neck with water (boiled and cooled).
leave till fermentation complete then bottle.
for best results leave for a year then drink.

Elderberry wine

4lbs elderberries
3 1/2lbs suger
1 gallon water
yeast

Strip berries from the stalks pour on boiling water and let it cool before adding yeast. Stir daily for 3 days then strain through muslin onto the sugar. Pour the liquor into a dark glass demijohn but do not fill completely until first vigorous ferment has subsided. When fermetation is quieter fill to bottom of neck and fit fermentation trap. Once fermentation is complete siphon off into a clean dark bottles and keep for at least 6 months.

Not wine but nice.
Elderflower Cordial.
1 colanderful full elderfloweres snipped off the stem,
Water to cover,
Sugar.

Put flowers in a large pan with enough water to cover them completely..Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15-20 mins.
Strain and measure liquid,return to pan and for each 1 1/2 pts. of liquid add 1lb. sugar.Heat gently until sugar has dissolved,then boil rapidly for 5 mins. or so.
Put into a jug,allow to cool and pour into a sterilised bottle(or bottles) leave until quite cold,then screw on caps or cork.
Will keep in fridge for several months.
Use to cook tart fruit,pour over ice-cream or dilute with fizzy water.

What is a litre of flowers, well it is usually considered to be flower heads gently pressed down in a container.

One recipe draws the flavour from the flowers with hot water then carries on for four days using cambden tablets to stop fermentation. Other one goes straight to the ferment.

One uses raisins t'other uses grape juice concentrate, this is to provide body/vinosity. Without this the wine would be strong (with enough sugar added) and perfumed but thin.

I would recommend that the must is covered at all times to prevent bacterial invasions. Even if the first ferment is vigorous just leave a space in the bin for the head.
One thing I remember is that immersing the flower heads in water in netting first allows the bugs to crawl off, there may be some.

Thank you, I can't wait for the tree to flower now

I made elderflower cordial last year, put into 1 litre plastic bottles (with a bit of space left) and froze for Christmas. Diluted with sparkling water it made a lovely refreshing non-alcoholic drink.

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