We were in
the countryside a couple of weeks ago and there were elderflower trees all
around us, wherever we looked. They were in full bloom and so incredibly
beautiful.
I am no
expert forager, far from it, but I couldn’t help but pick some to make elderflower
cordial.
As I was
picking the creamy elderflowers, a purple elderflower tree caught my eye. It
was the first time I had ever seen this kind of elderflower, and instantly I
decided to use those pinkish-purple blooms instead of the white.
The result was
a stunning, coral-colored syrup that becomes almost fluorescent when the sunlight
comes through it. I flavored it with Greek honey and lemon, and the aroma and
taste was intense and floral and so very much addictive.
I’ve been
drinking it diluted in sparkling water and a few ice cubes non stop; I’ve made a
dessert with roasted strawberries and elderflower whipped cream, and this weekend I’m
planning to make an elderflower cake.
If you’ve
never made cordial before, let me assure you, this is an easy one to try. You just submerge the flowers in a basic sugar syrup flavored with lemon and honey, and
allow to stand for twenty-four hours. You then strain it and it’s ready to use
in any way you prefer. In drinks, alcoholic or not, ice cream, desserts of all
kinds.
Elderflower cordial / concentrate
You need to
pick fresh and plush elderflowers on a sunny, dry day, and use them preferably
a few hours after you have picked them. Don’t wait too long or they will lose
their fragrance.
You can
refrigerate them or even freeze the elderflower heads (stored in a plastic
bag), but I’ve never done that myself; I just trust Mary Berry when she says so.
Give them a
gentle toss but don’t shake them, so that any bugs will fly out, and leave them
on the counter. Hopefully, if there’s any bugs left, they will crawl out. Don’t
rinse or wash the flowers as you will remove the valuable pollen that gives
flavor.
Trim as
much of the thick stalks as you can.
Yield: about 2 liters
Ingredients
15-20
pink/purple elderflower heads (mine were on the smaller side) - see above how to prepare them – sub with white/cream-colored
ones if you can’t find pink
1 liter
water
4 Tbsp
clear, runny honey (I used Greek, flower honey)
500 g caster
sugar
2 organic, unwaxed
lemons (zest of 2 lemons / juice of 1 lemon / slices of 1 lemon)
Special
equipment: large saucepan with lid, large fine sieve, muslin cloth or coffee
filter or good quality kitchen paper, large glass jars with lids (which you need
to sterilize – see here how to do it)
Preparation
In a large
saucepan, add the sugar, water and honey and bring to the boil over a high
heat, stirring so the sugar dissolves. Once it comes to a rolling boil, take
the pan off the heat and finely grate the zest of the 2 lemons straight into
the saucepan (so the invaluable lemon oils go into the syrup). Then, add the
juice of 1 of the lemons; slice the other lemon and add it to the saucepan. Mix
and then add the elderflower heads, upside down. Submerge them gently in the
syrup, one by one, leaving the stalks outside of the syrup yet making sure the
flowers are fully submerged. Put the lid on the saucepan and allow the syrup to infuse
for 24 hours.
The next
day, remove the flowers and lemons from the cordial using a slotted spoon.
Place a muslin cloth (or a coffee filter or good quality kitchen paper)
over a fine sieve set over a large bowl, and pass the syrup through it. Allow
the cordial to gently and slowly strain into the bowl underneath. Don’t push
the flowers or your cordial will end up muddy and not clear. Once ready,
transfer the cordial into sterilized glass jars. Keep refrigerated before and
after use. The unsealed jars of homemade elderflower cordial will keep for up to 6 months. Once opened, the cordial keeps for 1-2 months in the fridge. You can also freeze it into cubes and use it when you need to.
