Elderflower Picking and our Cordial Recipe
We have finally been blessed with good weather and have been taking advantage of this by going on lots of walks and plenty of trips to the park. On Saturday when at the park we picked some elderflower; I have been watching it slowly bloom on the last few trips and today we showed the children how to pluck down the heads, how to put them gently in the bag, and also the importance of not picking all the heads on one bush as the flowers play an important role for fertilisation as well as the bees. I love elderflower and every year I collect the heads and make us a cordial – I always think I’ve made a lot but it’s so yummy we’ve always finished it all by the end of summer.
I spent a blissful morning the next day (after it had been left to steep) finishing the recipe and bottling it up. They really do look like bottles of sunshine and happiness. The best of the British summer; ready and waiting to be enjoyed while watching the tennis!
Ingredients
- 12 heads of elderflower
- 1.5 lemons
- 1/2 an orange
- 500g sugar
- 750 ml of filtered boiled water
Method
- Pop your elderflower heads in a big bowl and add the lemon and orange zest.
- Top with the boiling water and the juice of your lemons and orange.
- Cover with a tea towel and leave to steep overnight.
- In the morning strain your mixture through a muslin into a big pan.
- Put the pan on a medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- Add the sugar, stirring until it has dissolved.
- Pour your finished cordial into sterilised bottles and enjoy over the summer.
My top tip would be to smell any elderflower before you pick it as the nicer it smells the nicer your cordial will be. Also, collect your elderflower away from roads if possible to avoid any unwanted nasties from car fumes.
I really hope that you enjoy this as much as our family does. We also love to add it to fruit salads and jellies. Do you pick elderflower? What do you use it for? We’d love to know so please do leave us a comment or tag us on Instagram @foxandlockes to show us your creations.
Enjoy,
Livvy and Summer
