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
Easy Elderflower Cordial Recipe
Equipment
- Muslin cloth
- Sieve
- 1 Litre Glass bottle
Ingredients
- 15 Elderflower heads
- 400 g Castor sugar
- 1 Unwaxed lemon
- 1 l Water
Instructions
- Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer gently.
- Add the sliced lemons to the syrup and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Remove the syrup from the heat and leave it to cool.
- Trim most of the thicker stems from the elderflower heads, then add the flowers to the warm syrup. The syrup should be warm rather than hot, so if needed, leave it to cool a little first
- Cover the pan and leave for 24 hours to allow the elderflowers to infuse.
- After 24 hours, remove the lemon slices and elderflowers, then strain the cordial through a muslin-lined sieve.
- Pour the cordial into a sterilised bottle or jar, then store it in the fridge or freeze for longer keeping.
- To serve, pour a little cordial into a glass and top up with still or sparkling water. Adjust to taste, adding more cordial or water as needed.
Karen Yoshida says
Today I had the last bottle of this delicious cordial and reminded me to write a comment to say thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s great and easy to make. I can’t wait to make it again this year.