Cathy’s cooking adventures: elderflower cordial / syrup.
As I have said in my previous recipe, I am in love with elderflower. It is a stinker (if you decide to use elderflower in your kitchen and you do not know how to find it – follow your nose!), but luckily for everyone it does not taste the way it smells – and its cooking possibilities are plenty.
Elderflower cordial/syrup:
15 Elderflower heads
1,5 cup sugar
1,5 lemons (+zest)
1 lime
1 tablespoon honey
1 l. water
Careful with your elderflower bunches. They need a wash, and they need a trim. Tiny little bugs like to live in them, so before bringing them home give them a good shake – the rest will come off while washing.
Dissolve the sugar and honey in hot water and let it cool off. Meanwhile, get the elderflowers ready and zest one lemon. Put the zest in the water, squeezing juice from 1-2 lemons, 1-2 limes and dump in the elderflower. Stir, and cover with kitchen foil to leave it overnight. I’d advise to leave it for 48 hours to allow the elderflower to really give out all the flavour. In terms of the other ingredients, you can use them in any way you like – if you like lemon, add 4 instead of two. You can also add a couple of mint leaves or a few slices of orange.
All in all, it should give you a cordial to be dissolved 1/3 or 1/4, depending on how strong you like it, with water.
After the day or two, strain the cordial through something like cheese cloth – any good quality, clean kitchen cloth will do, in fact. Pour that into a pan and allow to boil, it doesn’t really do much in terms of bringing out the taste but it just makes sure it is all safe to consume. Allow to cool off and strain through the cloth once again, then pour into bottles of your choice.
The bottle I have, at the very last photograph, is from Poundland since I only needed it for this photo, and I do not recommend it – do not buy, do-not-buy! It is impossible to pour from it.
I just want to say everyone, make the most of your elderflower why it is around, it’s AMAZING!
I loooooove elderflower! Will definitely try this
Ahh, please do and let me know how it came out!
Even though I genuinely like this publish, I think there was an punctuational error shut to the end of the 3rd sentence.
Thanks, I shall fix that.
yum