Ingredients
The recipe we used was written down in Gert’s secret black book but it was very similar to this one on the BBC Good Food site. Apart from the added ingredients below.
You will need (for around 1.5 litres of finished cordial):
- 20 elderflower heads
- Sugar – all the recipes I’ve seen vary so much in sugar quantity so it’s how sweet you like it
- 1.5 litres boiling water
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 50g citric acid
- 1 stalk lemongrass
Method
Tap the elderflower heads on the side of a bowl to get rid of any insects then put them into a bowl with the sugar, lemon zest and juice and citric acid.
Pour over the boiling water and whisk everything together well.
Add everything to a sterilised jar, whack the lemongrass with a knife and add this to the jar too.
Put the lid onto the jar and leave to steep overnight.
The next day strain the cordial through a muslin into a sterilised container and enjoy. You should end up with around two litres.
The smell at every stage is just fantastic; fresh elderflowers, lemon zest and juice, the steam that comes off when it’s hot is full of flavour. I have a healthy amount of cordial to use in every varying ways so keep your eyes peeled for recipe and drink ideas coming up! There are all sorts of flowers you can use to make different syrups and drinks, including dandelion tea!
If you’ve not been foraging before, check out my quick guide here.
Thank you to Gert and Inglewood for letting me come and pilfer your hedgerows and for making the cordial with me!
How funny, I made elderflower cordial on Sunday, so delicious and so satisfying. Am going to see if there are anymore elderflowers in their prime so I can make another batch, like the sound of yours with lemongrass….
Gosh, this looks so good! What a fun experience being able to make this in a professional kitchen! Really interesting recipe — thanks.
That sounds sublime.
I love the flowers too and I’ve been following all your posts related to them. Wish I can find over and yes please, the cordial is simply divine.
Perfect drink for this time of the year. We have a very small flower here in China that is part of the mum family that is very fragrant and floral and would also be delicious in this cordial.
Sounds so intriguing! Can’t imagine the taste 🙂
it’s interesting to note that when i see anything elderflower (which is rare in my state), i think of you!!! this sounds amazing. 🙂
I just walked past an explosion of elderflower in the field I walk the dog in, I was so tempted to pick some but didn’t know what I’d do with it…. Then this pops up in my feed! WOO!
I love the idea of cooking/eating flowers, never tried it though… Your idea just sounds beautiful!
ela h.
Gray Apron
Oh nice! You got down to some elderflower foraging with an expert yourself then huh! And yes elderflower ftw. It’s going out of season just about now, so grab all you can!
that sounds like such a fun day! I love the addition of lemongrass too!
Oh yummy I love the addition of lemongrass in this, nothing beats fresh elderflowers and I bet that kitchen was fun to work in 😀
Elderflower is an absolute favouirte and perfect for summer. I recently went to lush spa that served candy floss in a glass and poured over elderflower cordial yummy Lucy
This is really interesting. Would really love to give it a try. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Julia