So as it’s now summer I decided to do something I haven’t done before and that was to go elderflower picking. I live pretty much in the countryside so finding it wouldn’t be a problem and I just LOVE elderflower cordial so I thought I would give it a go.
To start off I needed to know what exactly I was looking for. A few days before I almost picked what I thought was elderflower but what was actually cow’s parsley.oh dear! You just need to remember elderflower grows at head height. It also grows from a tree or bush, NOT like a flower in the ground. As soon as I found this out I was able to recognise the creamy white clusters of flowers and pick a good batch. I found some lovely bushes along the path at the back of where I live.
When picking make sure the white flowers are not turning brown or dying. The best time to pick is end of May early June time. So grab your “Red Riding Hood” basket, (I think it makes the whole experience a bit more special or maybe I’m just weird like that lol) You need about 25 heads of elderflower for this recipe and it makes around 2 litres of cordial.
Elderflower Cordial Recipe
Ingredients:
25 heads of elderflower
1.5 litres water
1 kg sugar
Rind and juice of 3 lemons and 2 oranges about 150mls
Method
- Place 25 heads into a large bowl, add zest, pour over 1.5 litres of boiling water and leave overnight.
- The next day strain the liquid through some muslin into a saucepan.
- Add the sugar and the juice from the oranges and lemons
- Put on low heat and stir to dissolve the sugar
- let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Using a funnel pour the cordial into a sterilised glass bottle or jar with an airtight seal.
The cordial can keep for 6 weeks in the fridge. It can also be poured into ice cube trays and defrosted as needed.
I will be using this cordial to make some tasty treats over the next 4 weeks. Make sure you are subscribed to my blog to get all my latest updates,
Jess x
