Homemade Elderflower Cordial

Spring is slowly heading into summer in the UK at the mo, but as I am writing it is currently pouring down with rain and is very cold - classic. To be fair though it has been hot and sunny in the last few weeks, if you count 25℃ as hot, haha only in England.

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you on how to make some homemade elderflower cordial, because it's that time of year and we actually have elderflower growing in our garden, which is such a revelation because we are not natural green-fingered people at home. If you don't have an elderflower tree/bush at home, then why not take a walk, you'd be surprise how much elderflower there is outside your front door!

Below is the recipe for a refreshing drink that will keep you cool and your tastebuds tingling for more!

Ingredients:

5 elderflower heads (make sure they are fully bloomed)

450ml boiling water

340g caster sugar

2 Lemons

Also you need a glass bottle, which is sterilised - look at step 5 for instructions.

Instructions:

Step 1: First cut the elderflower heads off your tree/bush, tip them upside down and shake them to get rid of any bugs.

Step 2: Next, get a medium size pot and place them in, along with your boiling water and sugar and give it a mix round until the sugar has dissolved.

Step 3: Now cut the lemon skin off  and chop into medium sized chunks along with the flesh. Squeeze and add to the pot and give it a mix.

Step 4: Get a damp cloth and cover the pot with it and leave in a dark space for 48 hours.

Step 5: On the last day of the 48 hours you need to sterilise a 1 litre glass bottle, to do this wash it in the sink with soap or pop it in the dishwasher. Then put the oven on at 140℃ fan and pop the bottle in for 8-10 minutes and leave to cool.

Step 6: Next get a muslin cloth and drape it over a sieve in a bowl or jug, then pour the cordial from the pot on top. This will help strain away the tiny excess as well as the big parts.

Step 7: You can now pour your homemade cordial into the glass bottle and enjoy a nice refresher on that hot spring/summer's day.

Below is the video I made to help with the guidance or just to enjoy watching.

Thanks for popping along on my site, stay tuned for more on my E.magine blog!