It’s that time of year again….the hedgerows are a wash with pretty, white elderflowers. So, armed with my secateurs and a basket, I headed to West End Green (Esher, Surrey) for a spot of foraging.
Having located the frothiest-looking bush, I selected 20 large heads and nestled them safely into my basket.
Back in the kitchen, with the sweet fragrance of the elderflowers in the air, I embarked upon the BBC Good Food’s recipe for Elderflower Cordial.
ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL (Makes approx. 5 pints)
2½ kg white sugar – either granulated or caster
2 unwaxed lemons
20 fresh elderflower heads, stalks trimmed
85g citric acid
“Put the sugar and 1½ litres (or 2 ¾ pints) of water into the largest saucepan you have. Gently heat, without boiling, until the sugar has dissolved. Give it a stir every now and again. Pare the zest from the lemons using a potato peeler, then slice the lemons into rounds.
Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the pan of syrup to the boil, then turn off the heat. Fill a washing up bowl with cold water. Give the flowers a gentle swish around to loosen any dirt or bugs.
Lift flowers out, gently shake and transfer to the syrup along with the lemons, zest and citric acid, then stir well.
Cover the pan and leave to infuse for 24 hours.
Line a colander with a clean tea towel, then sit it over a bowl or pan. Ladle in the syrup – let it drip slowly through. Discard the bits left in the towel.
Use a funnel and a ladle to fill sterilised bottles (run glass bottles through the dishwasher, or wash well with soapy water. Rinse, then leave to dry in a low oven). The cordial is ready to drink straight away.”
For the past week, I’ve been enjoying my cordial with cold sparkling water – it is completely delicious and thirst quenching. I’m looking forward to adding a dash to a glass of prosecco, or maybe trying it as the ‘drizzle’ syrup on a sponge cake (like you would do with a lemon syrup on a lemon drizzle cake). I’ve also read that it makes an amazing sorbet and works wonderfully with gooseberries.
However you decide to use it, you will not regret taking the time to make this delicious cordial. It makes wonderful gifts…..if you can bear to part with any!
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Written by Emma Shipley, Thornback & Peel Studio and Production Manager