The Elder tree is a favourite with foragers. Well, it is with me! Its flowers and berries provide ingredients for many recipes from late spring into summer. A classic way to use Elderflowers is to make Elderflower cordial. It is a refreshing drink that tastes like summer, and what's more, it is straightforward to make. By making your refreshing Elderflower cordial with just Elderflowers, sugar, and lemons, you can be sure it is free from the nasties often found in supermarket soft drinks. Once you successfully make your first batch, I'm sure you will be making it year after year. Use this homemade Elderflower cordial to make your iced lollies too. If you fancy a sweet treat with your Elderflower cordial, make my no-bake Elderflower and Strawberry cake!
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How To Identify Elderflower
Elder grows as a shrub or a small tree. When mature, its bark is corky and ridged. It is widespread in woodlands and hedgerows. In late May in the UK, it becomes very conspicuous with its display of densely packed flat-topped white or cream-coloured flower clusters. Later in the year, small dark purple berries appear. You can also use these tiny berries to make a cordial or syrup. Please visit my elderberry syrup recipe.
With this Elderflower cordial, we are interested in the flowers. The flowers are tiny and clustered at the top of their stems, forming an umbrella of densely packed blooms. They first appear in late May / early June.
Elder has compound and pinnate leaves, 5 to 7 leaflets joined opposite each other. The elder compound leaf has a terminal leaflet, hence the odd number of leaflets.
Make sure you identify Elderflower correctly. Please do not ingest it unless you are 100% sure you have identified it correctly. Take a good foraging guide and consider investing in a plant identification app. Please don't rely solely on the app, as it occasionally misidentifies. Foraging courses run by experts are an excellent way to learn.
Key Ingredients & Notes
- Elderflower heads: Choose ones that are creamy white in colour with a floral fragrance. Pick on a warm, dry morning when the blossoms are fully open. Gently shake to dislodge insects, but do not run under water as this will remove the pollen.
- Castor sugar: Castor sugar provides sweetness to the cordial and balances the floral notes. Acts as a preservative.
- Unwaxed lemons: The acidity of the lemons balances the sweetness. Also acts as a preservative.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Elderflower Cordial
Add the water and castor sugar to a pot and boil. Then add the sliced lemons and reduce the heat. Simmer for five minutes. Theremove fromff the heat to cown.
Take each elderflower cluster and snip off the stems, ready for the infusion process.
Put the elderflowers into the pot and let them infuse in the syrup at room temperature for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, remove the lemons and elderflowers and strain the liquid through a muslin cloth.
Your Elderflower cordial is ready. Dilute with still or sparkling water.
Equipment & Storage
A muslin cloth or a nut milk bag is essential for straining the Elderflower cordial.
A fine-mesh sieve also helps to ensure the cordial is free of any debris.
The Elderflower cordial will keep in the fridge for up to a month. Please ensure that the bottle where you store the cordial is sterilised correctly. You can do this by washing it in wa,rm soapy water and then placing it in the oven for 30 minutes a100 °CºC.
Freeze the Elderflower cordial in ice cube trays, then remove and store it in silicon bags. You cstoreeep this in the freezer fup to or a year.
Top Tips
Remove as many stems as possible from the heads when preparing.
The sugar syrup must not be hot before adding the flowers. A good way to check is if you can dip a finger into it; the flowers can go in.
Freezing the cordial is a better option than storing it in a bottle; that way, there is no chance of it going mouldy, and you have an ice-cold drink whenever you want.
Related Recipes
Here are more delicious drink recipes that use foraged ingredients:
📖 Recipe
Elderflower Cordial
Equipment
- Muslin cloth
- Sieve
- 1 Litre Glass bottle
Ingredients
- 15 Elderflower heads
- 400 gms Castor Sugar
- 1 Unwaxed Lemon
- 1 litre Water
Instructions
- In a pot, add the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn it down to a simmer.
- Slice the lemons and add to the sugar syrup. Simmer for five minutes.
- Take the syrup off the heat and set it aside to cool.
- Remove the stems from the elderflower heads and add the flowerheads to the sugar syrup. The syrup still needs to be warm but not hot; if it is too hot wait for it to cool.
- Cover the pot with a lid and set aside for 24 hours to allow the elderflower to infuse.
- Once the elderflower has infused, remove the lemon slices and flowers and strain the cordial using a muslin cloth.
- Transfer the cordial into a sterilised bottle and refrigerate or freeze.
- To make a drink, simply pour some cordial into a glass and add soda water or plain water. Adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding more cordial or water.
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