Elderflower cordial

Elderflower cordial is probably the best way to trap the gorgeous musky scent of elderflower all year round, it’s not just useful for adding to drinks and cocktails it is also brilliant in cakes, for poaching fruit, or adding a splash to fruit salads or salad dressings. I don’t add citric acid to my elderflower cordial - which is added to lengthen its shelf life - instead I find the best way to preserve the freshness of elderflower cordial is to freeze it. Decant the prepared cordial into plastic bottles or containers, leaving a few cm headroom at the top as the liquid will expand as it freezes and then pop it into the freezer until you need it. If you aren’t going to freeze the cordial then you should sterilise you bottles, then store the cordial in the fridge to use within a couple of months.

Photos by Sharon Cosgrove

Makes about 2.5 litres

For the cordial
30-35 Elderflower heads
Zest of 4 unwaxed lemons (in strips) and their strained lemon juice
2 litres boiling water
1.3KG granulated sugar
A selection of bottles for storing the elderflower

Shake the flower heads well, over a bowl or even outside, to get rid of any insects and excess pollen, but don’t worry too much if a few tiny bugs remain as you will be straining the finished drink. Remove all the leaves and as much of the stalk as possible, elderflower leaves and stalks are toxic so you don’t want much of them in your drink, a little bit of stalk holding the flowers together is fine.

Put the elderflower heads into a large heatproof bowl or saucepan. Use a potato peeler or lemon zester to peel strips of the lemon zest and add them to the elderflowers. Then squeeze the lemons and add the strained juice as well. Pour the two litres of boiling water over the elderflowers, cover the container, and then leave the mixture to infuse for 24 hours.

 After 24 hours strain the liquid into a large saucepan through a sieve lined with a clean piece of muslin or a tea towel, this will help strain out any remaining bugs or bits of pollen. Put the elderflower remains on your compost. Put the saucepan on the hob over a medium low heat. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Simmer for five minutes and then turn off the heat. Allow to cool a little so your bottles don’t crack or melt and then decant into your prepared bottles.