Homemade Elderflower Cordial Recipe
Following on from our foraging blog, we thought we would share our recipe for a delicious Elderflower cordial. Shop-bought cordial can be expensive and a little too sweet. But this recipe is so simple and, just delicious, even if we do say so ourselves!
Firstly, you’ll need to head out to forage for the Elderflowers. Because they are only available for a couple of weeks during May/June, Elderflower cordial is a really special treat. That said, you need 20 heads per litre of cordial so, if they are plentiful in your area, you could make a whole load of bottles using this homemade Elderflower cordial recipe. Remember to leave some behind though! This recipe uses both citric acid and Campden tablets so, if you store the finished cordial in the fridge, it should last 3-4 months.
Take a look at this video to see how to identify the right plant and pick the best Elderflower heads.
Ingredients (makes a litre of homemade Elderflower cordial)
- Elderflower heads (20 heads as described in the video above)
- Water (1 pint, boiling)
- Lemons (2, sliced. Alternatively, one lemon and one lime)
- Citric acid (50g)
- Sugar (1kg)
- Campden tablet (1 tablet)
Method
Pop the Elderflower heads into a pot and pour the freshly boiled water over them. Add the lemons (and limes if you like), the critic acid and sugar. You will need to stir this until all of the sugar is dissolved.
Cover the pot but make sure you don’t seal it. Leave the mixture for 5 days, making sure to stir it once every 24 hours. After 5 days, strain the mixture through a fine mesh cloth and pour into a sterilised bottle. Add the Campden tablet to kill bacteria and inhibit the growth of any wild yeasts. And voila! You have your very own, homemade Elderflower cordial.
To serve, pour a small amount into a glass and add cold water. Garnish with slices of lemon or limes and ice for a really refreshing drink.
Top tip: If you store your cordial in plastic bottles, you can pop it in the freezer. Then, when you have none left in the fridge, you can take a bottle out, defrost it and have more delicious Elderflower cordial!
For more delicious Eagle Brae dishes, see our other home-cooked recipes.