Below by request from several folk is the recipe for Elderflower Cordial - no doubt very similar to many others - but you'll need to get on as I can see the flowers are over on some of the trees...This week has raced by with a whole collection of meetings which I won't bore you with here - in fact just back from a civil ceremony - very nice indeed and great food but now need to relax with DVD and something stronger than the cordial...
20 umbrels of elderflower ie the umbrella like clusters or heads - best picked in full bloom in bright sunshine
1.8kg granulated sugar, or caster sugar
1.2 litres water
75g citric acid
2 unwaxed lemon
Put the sugar into a pan with the water and bring up to the boil, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. Then shake elderflowers to loosen lingering insects, and stir them (the umbrels rather than the insects) into the pan with the zest of the lemons, the remains of the lemons sliced and the citric acid. Cover with a cloth and then leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
Next day, strain the cordial through a sieve lined with muslin (see photo above of my straining), and pour into thoroughly cleaned glass or plastic bottles (old milk plastic bottles are ideal. To serve the cordial dilute to taste with water, fizzy water, gin, vodka or whatever - I tried an ice-cream float on a hot evening this week.....anyhow it lasts about 6 months but I tried freezing a small milk carton of cordial last year and had a taste of June in the depths of a cold wintery February...
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