Elderflowers were in full bloom, so one cannot resist taking an afternoon to make that divine floral lemony cordial. I used a BBC recipe, mostly for the ratio of citric acid to simple syrup, I always use a little extra lemon.
- 2½ kg white sugar, either granulated or caster
- 2 organic lemons
- 20 fresh elderflower heads, stalks trimmed
- 85g citric acid (from chemists)
Put the sugar and 1.5 litres water into the largest saucepan you have. Gently heat, without boiling, until the sugar has dissolved. Give it a stir every now and again. Pare the zest from the lemons using a potato peeler, then slice the lemons into rounds.
Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the pan of syrup to the boil, then turn off the heat. Pluck flowers off the stem with the tines of a fork. Fill a washing up bowl with cold water. Give the flowers a gentle swish around to loosen any dirt or bugs. Lift flowers out, gently shake and transfer to the syrup along with the lemons, peel and citric acid, then stir well. Cover the pan with a towel and leave to infuse for 24 hrs.
Line a colander with a clean tea towel, then sit it over a large bowl or pan. Ladle in the syrup – let it drip slowly through. Discard the bits left in the towel. The cordial is ready to drink straight away and will keep in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.
