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