Elderflower Cordial

This recipe for elderflower cordial is from Christopher Robbins, herbalist and wild food forager.

This delicious cordial was used traditionally as a cold and flu remedy. It also helps reduce hay fever symptoms if drunk three times a day for six to eight weeks before your hay-fever symptoms appear each year.

Collect elderflowers when there are still some unopened florets on the outside of the flower head. Harvest in the early morning before the heat of the sun has evaporated much of the beautiful aromatic perfume from the flowers. The best way of collecting the florets is to grasp a head of elderflower firmly in one hand from beneath, so the florets are bunched up above the clenched fist. Cut the florets off with a careful snip of kitchen scissors, leaving the green flower stalks in the hand for discarding. It is important to prepare the cordial as soon as possible after harvest. If more than a few hours, keep them in a fridge until you are ready.

Ingredients

3 litres of freshly harvested elderflower florets

1.5 litres boiling water

about 1kg white sugar

Method

Place the cut florets in a large lidded saucepan. Pour on the boiling water, gently pressing the florets under the water until all are immersed. Place lid on saucepan and leave in a cool place for 24 hours.

Next day, Carefully strain off and retain the liquid, and discard the florets. Measure the liquid before returning it to the rinsed out saucepan. Add 600g white sugar for each litre of liquid. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring all the while. When boiled, take off the heat, cover and allow to cool. When just tepid, pour into storage bottles and seal. Once opened keep in the fridge.

So long as you have atleast 60% sugar solution, the cordial won't ferment.