Elderflower cordial
By: Sophie Grigson From: Grigson
- Prep time:
- 20 mins, plus overnight infusing
- Cook time:
- 5 mins
- Serves:
- Makes 1.5 litres
Sophie Grigson captures the essence of warm English summers with this refreshing and versatile elderflower cordial
Tips and suggestions
- Cooks Tips...
- To serve Elderflower Cordial: Dilute the elderflower cordial to taste with fizzy water, and serve over ice with a slice or two of lemon, or a sprig of mint floating on top.
For something a touch more sprightly, add a shot of gin or vodka and a lemon slice, or add it to white wine and sparkling water to make an elderflower spritzer.
Elderflower cordial is also brilliant in recipes such as gooseberry fool, and in vinaigrette - mix with wine vinegar, a touch of mustard, salt, pepper and a light olive oil (surprisingly good with a courgette, lettuce and broad bean salad). You might even try adding it to a marinade for chicken breasts. Try it in sorbets, or ice-creams, or just spooned over scoops of vanilla ice-cream, or use it to sweeten and flavour the fruit for a crumble.
Ingredients
- 20 heads of elderflower
- 1.8kg granulated sugar, or caster sugar
- 1.2 litres water
- 2 unwaxed Lemons
- 75g citric acid
Method
1. Shake the elderflowers to expel any lingering insects, and then place in a large bowl.
2. Put the sugar into a pan with the water and bring up to the boil, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. While the sugar syrup is heating, pare the zest of the lemons off in wide strips and toss into the bowl with the elderflowers. Slice the lemons, discard the ends, and add the slices to the bowl. Pour over the boiling syrup, and then stir in the citric acid. Cover with a cloth and then leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
4. Next day, strain the cordial through a sieve lined with muslin (or a new j-cloth rinsed out in boiling water), and pour into thoroughly cleaned glass or plastic bottles. Screw on the lids and pop into the cupboard ready to use.
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Latest Comment
View all comments (18)I didn't have any citric acid (where can you buy it?) so I doubled the amount of lemons used, which gave a very slight bitter tinge to it, but it was still very refreshing and an easy recipe to follow.
I didn't have any citric acid (where can you buy it?) so I doubled the amount of lemons used, which gave a very slight bitter tinge to it, but it was still very refreshing and an easy recipe to follow.
If you are using sweetener instead of sugar, remember that 1 tablespoon of sweetener should replace one ounce of sugar. It won't last as long on the shelf, but you can half-fill plastic bottles with the cordial and freeze them.
does anyone know can a sweetner be used intead of sugar
Does anyone know how I can salvage this batch of cordial if I have used too much citric acid? I was considering adding calcium carbonate.
forumID
You can get it from amazon.co.uk
You can buy it at all Halal stores - 79p 100g where I am!
You can buy it from a home brew website in quantities up to 500g and it's much cheaper! A lot of chemists will no longer sell it and it's a very uneconomical way to go!
You can't buy it for 99p - it cost me £6.26 today! Let me know if there is anywhere cheaper.
You can buy Citric acid at Boots for 99p (50g). It is tartaric acid which has the alternative - illegal- useage. (Tartaric does the same job as citric acid and is often named in recipes for elderflower
You can buy citric acid very cheaply at Wilkinson's in the home brew section, or buy it online from home brew suppliers.
I can not get the citric acid at local chemist anymore. I was told it was used when taking illegal drugs.
I buy citric acid from a shop on ebay, around 1kg for £5. Citric acid is naturally found in citric fruits so I cannot understand why you'been told its a banned substance. I use it all the time in making natural skincare products. Hope this helps?
Can you tell me where I can buy citric acid to make elderflower cordial? My chemist no longer stocks it as she says it is a banned substance!
Please tell me how to increase quantities to make 4X the recipe. I am wondering specifically about the citric acid quantity. By the way, we can still buy it in supermarkets here.
To remove the mist tie a jelly bag over the legs of an upturned 4 legged chair
Help..........This will be the 3rd year I have made this and it is cloudy..does anyone have Ideas what I can do? It still tastes good.............