Elderflower Cordial

It is that time of year again – the hedgerows are brimming over with elderflower blossoms.  Despite the fact that I have absolutely no free time, I feel duty bound, as I do every year, to make elderflower cordial.  My grandmother always made it and I still use her recipe, but then she didn’t run a household single handed, hold down a job and look after two children, one dog and a husband!!! It is the forager in me, the hunter gatherer instincts inherited from my Stone Age forbears that manifest themselves at this time of the year and force me to harvest huge quantities of elderflower heads, turn my kitchen into an industrial distillery and make copious bottles of delicious Elderflower Cordial at 11 o’clock at night, as it is the only free time available

This is my granny’s recipe should anyone else feel the inclination or have the time and energy to make Elderflower Cordial

3lbs, 1.3 kg granulated sugar

3 pints,  1.7 litres boiling water

2oz citric acid

25-35 elderflower heads

2 lemons or oranges

Make a syrup of sugar and boiling water add citric acid in a clean bucket.   Allow syrup to cool and add 25-35 flower heads and 2 sliced lemons or oranges

Stir occasionally over 2 days and then strain twice through a muslin in a sieve and bottle into another clean bucket

Decant into sterilised dark green bottles (it seems to keep longer for some reason) for about six months or reuse empty plastic water bottles and freeze

Happy foraging!