← Nouns Cooking · British & Irish

Ingredients

• 20 Fresh elderflower heads
• 1 kg granulated or caster sugar
• 1 l Water
• 2 unwaxed lemons, zested in strips, then sliced
• 30 g Citric acid

Method

1. Gently shake the elderflower heads to remove any insects; do not wash them or you lose the pollen and flavour. Snip off the thick stalks.
2. Heat the water and sugar in a large pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil and take off the heat.
3. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon slices and citric acid, then add the flowers and push them under the syrup. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to infuse for 24 hours.
4. Strain through a sieve lined with muslin or a clean tea towel, then pour into sterilised bottles using a funnel.
5. Keep in the fridge and dilute about 1 part cordial to 5 parts still or sparkling water, served over ice.

Tips

• Pick creamy, fully open flowers on a dry, sunny morning, away from busy roads.
• Citric acid keeps it fresh for about 6 weeks in the fridge; freeze some in ice-cube trays for longer.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food BBC Food Olive Magazine