elderflower time

I was new to making elderflower cordial last year.
We tried it and it was a total flop. Don't ask me why. I have no idea.
With some simplification to the recipe, from a friend who has been doing it for 20 years, we tried it again with success.
Delicious, refreshing and picked by the girls.
The Elder is officially catergorised as a weed and so as the girls picked, we pondered on our role in controlling the spread of this tree. The more cordial we make, the fewer seeds will be eaten by the Kereru come Autumn which means fewer will be dropped to sprout into new seedlings.
Looks like there will be a few more bottles put up by the time the season is over.

Here is what we did:

Elderflower Cordial

Pick 15 heads of elderflower (best picked in the sunshine when the heads are dry)
Put in a large basin.
Add 2 sliced lemons, 55 gms citric acid and 1 kg sugar.
Pour over 1 litre of boiling water.
Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Leave for 24 hours in a sunny spot.
Pour into large pot through a piece of gauze and bring to the boil.
Bottle.

1 comment:

  1. Hi We made some elderflower champagne last week, but had to substitute lime for lemon , and actually it tastes and looks more like beer! I was looking for a cordial recipe, and now I can use yours, thank you!

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