Spiced Elderflower Cordial
Elderflowers are at their peak in late spring to early summer. Delicious as a soft drink, a recipe ingredient or a sweet addition to cocktails and mocktails. The inclusion of root ginger in this recipe gives it an extra bit of zing!
Ingredients
Caster sugar 1kg (2lb 4oz)
Boiling water 900ml (1½ pints)
Citric acid 50g (2oz)
Elderflower heads 20, flowers snipped from stems
Lemon 1, thinly sliced
Limes 4, thinly sliced
Root ginger 50-75g (2-3oz), peeled & sliced
Instructions
1
Put sugar in a bowl, add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add citric acid and elderflowers; stir. Stir in sliced lemon, limes and ginger. Cover with clingfilm and put in a cool place for 6 days, stirring daily.
2
Place a colander or sieve over a bowl and line with muslin or clean J-cloths. Pour boiling water through to sterilise. Pour away water and wring out cloth.
3
Re-line sieve or colander, replace over bowl and strain the cordial through it. Discard elderflowers, lemon, limes and ginger.
4
Pour cordial through a funnel into two sterilised 75cl (1¼ pint) wine bottles. Seal with corks or screw caps and store in fridge. Will keep for a year or more. Serve diluted with chilled white wine, tonic or soda water, or top up with boiling water to make a hot toddy.
