{"id":2454,"date":"2015-06-25T04:57:40","date_gmt":"2015-06-25T03:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thecherryplumkitchen.com\/?p=2454"},"modified":"2015-06-25T05:28:41","modified_gmt":"2015-06-25T04:28:41","slug":"elderflower-cordial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecherryplumkitchen.com\/?p=2454","title":{"rendered":"Elderflower Cordial"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you’re raising readers of Brian Jacques ‘Redwall’ books, Elderflower Cordial is an essential summer beverage.<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s refreshing, summery and non-alcoholic. \u00a0Elderflower Cordial is also a useful ingredient to have in the freezer.<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a>
\nPlace 1.5kg\/3lb 5oz of granulated sugar into a saucepan. It’s a lot. Hold your nerve. Pour on 1.5 litres\/2\u00bd pints of cold water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and leave to cool while you go off foraging.<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a><\/p>\n

The elderflowers were late this year, but I start looking in early May. \u00a0Usually they are past their best by the end of June, but there are still plenty to find at the moment. \u00a0This isn’t hard urban foraging. \u00a0In fact, I manage to do it in heels\u2026!<\/p>\n

The only thing you could possibly confuse it with is cow parsley<\/em>. \u00a0If what you are picking is growing directly out of the ground you’re picking the wrong thing. \u00a0This won’t hurt you as another ‘common’ name for cow parsley<\/em> is ‘wild chervil<\/em>‘. \u00a0It’s perfectly edible, but I don’t like it.<\/p>\n

Although the elderflower is a bush they can grow very large and look very tree-like.<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a><\/p>\n

Elderflower leaves have serrated edges and tend to grow in fives – like this. \u00a0Cow parsley<\/em>, just so you know, has no leaves near the flowers.<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a><\/p>\n

Look for a spray of flowers. \u00a0Elderflowers grow in florets.<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a><\/p>\n

Before they open they have tight buds which open to form creamy white flowers. \u00a0The pollen is very visible.<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a><\/p>\n

A froth of creamy white and they smell of summer. \u00a0Or should. \u00a0Bushes vary. \u00a0Pick from a bush where the flowers are fragrant. \u00a0If they smell musty, \u00a0move on.<\/p>\n

I read once that elderflowers smell like muscat grapes. \u00a0Unfortunately my experience of muscat grapes is limited. \u00a0I do dream of one day standing in a vineyard and remarking how the grapes smell of elderflowers but \u2026 it hasn’t happened yet. \u00a0Maybe you have a different life experience??!<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a><\/p>\n

This identifier is a bit revolting. \u00a0Once they’ve flowered they are attractive to black fly. \u00a0I avoid those! \u00a0You could pick them off but I feel it’s a step too far.<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a><\/p>\n

And this is what they look like when they’ve ‘gone over’. \u00a0Avoid picking any elderflowers with any brown as fragrance equals taste.<\/p>\n

Never pick on a wet day. If you’ll excuse me for saying, elderflowers tend to smell like cat’s pee when rained on. \u00a0Whilst muscat grapes are beyond my experience, I do actually have direct knowledge of cat’s pee. \u00a0My childhood cat, imaginatively called ‘Kitty’, had a .. problem<\/em> in old age. \u00a0(I was an imaginative child when it came to naming my pets.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

An English spring is a variable thing – weather-wise. \u00a0Since a sunny morning and available time to make cordial is a rare combination, the good news is you can freeze the heads. Place them in a zip-lock freezer bag and place directly in your freezer. Aside from picking off any bugs don’t do anything to them. When you want to make your cordial, don’t let them defrost or they’ll turn a revolting brown. Just add them to the sugar syrup and lemon slices.<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick about 25 heads. \u00a0It seems to be a fact of life that the best blooms are the ones you can’t quite reach. \u00a0Go for the ones that don’t drop all their blossom when you shake off any wildlife and pick away from the road. \u00a0Look for creamy coloured flower heads in preference to brilliant white.<\/p>\n

Like all foraging, don’t take more than you need. \u00a0Leave some to become elderberries in the autumn \u2026!<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a><\/p>\n

Once home, I don’t wash my flower heads. \u00a0(It’s the cat’s wee thing.<\/em>) \u00a0If you leave them on a tray in a warm kitchen you’ll find tiny insects will wander off. \u00a0Depending on your temperament you can return the wildlife to the big outside \u2026 or not. \u00a0Just give the flowers a quick check over.<\/p>\n

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Finely slice two unwaxed lemons.<\/p>\n

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The elderflowers and lemon slices, including the pips, go into a big bowl. \u00a0Pour over the sugar water.<\/p>\n

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The only other ingredient you need is ‘citric acid’ which is a weak organic acid and a natural preservative. \u00a0You buy it from the chemist. \u00a0They’ll ask you what you want it for \u2026 in case you have a heroin habit. \u00a0Apparently it’s useful. \u00a0I’ve found asking for it in May and June has never been a problem.<\/p>\n

I don’t keep my cordial in a bottle for longer than a month, but if I’m making it to give as a gift I add a couple of campden tablets. \u00a0I buy them from my local brewers shop but you can also get them online. \u00a0They\u00a0kill bacteria and inhibit the growth of most wild yeast. \u00a0Since this is ‘just for us’, and I’m going to store it in the freezer, it’s just the citric acid.<\/p>\n

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Pour in the 50g packet and give everything a stir.<\/p>\n

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Cover with a clean tea towel and leave it to infuse for 24 hours. \u00a0Somewhere dark and cool is best. \u00a0My writing desk is north facing and I put mine on there overnight.<\/p>\n

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I can’t make this look photogenic.<\/p>\n

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I can’t make this look photogenic either. \u00a0I let my cordial drip through a jelly bag. \u00a0The alternative would be a nylon sieve lined with muslin or a new J-cloth. \u00a0Whatever you use, scald in boiling water first.<\/p>\n

Either put your bottle through the dishwasher or wash in soapy water, rinse and dry in a warm oven for 30 minutes or so.<\/p>\n

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Then you can fill the hot bottle with the elderflower cordial. \u00a0I even managed to do it left-handed and take a photo! \u00a0Store in the fridge and it’ll keep for a month – if you can stop people drinking it.<\/p>\n

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In the freezer it’ll keep for 3 months – which is the summer. \u00a0By the time we get to October I’m ready to move on. \u00a0I store mine in 500ml portions in Soup n’ Sauce freezer bags.<\/p>\n

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Dilute to a ratio of 1 part cordial to 10 parts cold water. \u00a0Fizzy or still. \u00a0As cold as you can get it.<\/p>\n

Ice cubes. \u00a0A slice of lemon.<\/p>\n

Drink.<\/p>\n

\"Elderflower<\/a>Elderflower Cordial<\/strong><\/p>\n

Makes 2 litres\/3\u00bd pints<\/em><\/p>\n