Elderflower Cordial

I have never made elderflower cordial before but have been coming across recipes everywhere this year. So we decided to give it a go. Last week we were in Decon for a few days so I picked lots of elderflower from my daughters garden, together with my little helper. I helped my daughter with the first stage of making hers and she finished it off after we had left. 

                                 

On our return home I made some of my own using a recipe in LandLove magazine, I will post their recipe below but i made some changes along the way with my cordial.

Aromatic Cordial

Makes approx 4 litres

40 elderflower heads

4 organic lemons

3 ltr water 

3 kg sugar (I used less and used golden caster sugar mixed with some fruit sugar)

80g citric acid

1. Carefully shake the flowers but don't wash. Remove the stalks as far as possible or the drink will taste bitter. Wash the lemons in hot water, then dry and slice

2 warm the water on the stove, add the sugar and citric acid and stir until all is dissolved. Leave liquid to cool

3 place lemons and prepared flowers in an earthenware jar or divide among several preserving jars. (I had sterilised these in the dishwasher)

Fill the jars with the sugared water, seal and place in a cool location to infuse.

4 After three days, stir the cordial thoroughly and squeeze out the lemon slices with a spoon. Pass the liquid first through a coarse sieve and then pass through a coffee filter to remove the solids.

                     

5 keeping times will be improved if the cordial is brought briefly to the boil and poured into sterilised bottles. It will keep for a year in a dark, cool place

                                

Dove Cottage

I haven't posted about our little Welsh cottage for a while, we have just returned from a few days over there catching up on some jobs. I spent a few hours tidying the garden while my husband worked inside.  We had the plaster removed from the wall behind the sofa and he has been spending time pointing around the stones with cement and on this visit he sealed it all to stop the dust from forming and to bring out the colours of the stones. We are really pleased with how it has turned out. 

If you want to see my first post after exchanging in the property a year ago, click on he following link

http://www.finelinenandpurple.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/wales.html

Some of you may not have heard of Welsh blankets woven in the wooden mills, these beautiful blankets have become popular again in recent years with new designs being made and old designs remade. In the first four photos below you can see some of the Welsh blankets and cushions that I have, the blanket hanging over the door is also Welsh but in a plaid design and the blanket on the chair is a waffle blanket. The cushions and orange blanket are made in the tapestry design. I also have a beautiful red, black and grey tapestry blanket but can't find a photos of it. 

On Friday I went with my sister to Jane Beck's Welsh Blanket shop, Jane collects antique blankets and quilts, buys and sells pre owned blankets and quilts and sells news blankets and cushions. We had a great visit and I came away with the beautiful cushion in the third photo. If you would like to read more about Welsh blankets go to Jane Becks website

www.welshblankets.co.uk and www.melintregwynt.co.uk

                                

                   

Some of the Studio pottery that we have at the cottage made at the John Leach pottery in Muchelney

View across the fields to Dove Cottage. 

Below are photos taken from our visit to Jane Becks shop

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This is an antique blanket from Jane's collection