Makes just under 1 ½ litres | 3 pints of cordial
Driving through central Nepal on the way back from a rafting trip I spotted some elderflowers and had to collect some. They made a passable cordial and massively improved a ‘local’ gin and tonic.
Ingredients
- 20 fresh elderflower heads, rinsed and picked over to get rid of any bugs
- 1 lemon
- 25 g citric acid
- 750 ml | 3 cups boiling water
- 750 g | 1 lb 10 ½ oz white sugar
Method
Carefully peel the zest from the lemon trying not to get any white pith in the zest, then peel or cut the white pith from the lemons and throw it away. Roughly chop the lemon flesh. Place the sugar, citric acid, and lemon in to a large bowl and pour the boiling water over them, stir until the sugar has dissolved. Leave the mixture to cool down to blood temperature, before adding the elder flower heads. Cover with a lid or cloth and leave the mixture to infuse for 24 hours.
After 24 hours strain the elderflower mixture through a muslin cloth or jelly bag, and bottle in sterilized bottles. Your cordial is ready to drink straight away and will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.
Serve diluted with water or sparkling water to taste.
Tip
If you want to keep your cordial out of the fridge and for a longer time, add ¼ of a well crushed Camden tablet, make sure the tablet is completely dissolved before you bottle your cordial. Camden tablets are readily available from home brewing and wine making suppliers they contain sulphites so check for allergies before you use them.