Elderflower & Rose Cordial
Super simple to make and bottle, I’ve been making this cordial every late spring for years, adding rose the past few years after inheriting a beautiful rose garden from my home’s previous owner when we moved in.
This morning was pretty miserable and rainy- which interestingly is when many people tell you NOT pick elderflowers, but then some people say is absolutely when you SHOULD pick elderflowers, something to do with the rain washing away the pollen or saving the pollen beetles respectively it seems. This year I picked in a borderline deluge, and the cordial has come out as floral and delicious as ever. As far as I could see, no pollen beetles were boiled to death in the process and quick Google search tells me pollen beetles are far from endangered so I think both these nuances have been overstated, perhaps simply to fill out the prose in a 5 ingredient recipe introduction?
Pick only fresh looking heads of elderflower, if that wasn’t obvious. I also like to pick any dog roses that I see whilst out picking, usually in bloom in the hedgerows around the same time in late spring/early summer. To be honest they don’t impart much flavour, but they are edible and look pretty in photos.
Pretty, edible, largely flavourless dog roses
You can omit roses altogether of course, and the quantities given below can be scaled up or down depending on how much elderflower you gather and how big your biggest pan is. Citric acid can easily be found online, or in chemists & health food shops. It adds acidity to balance out the sweetness of the cordial and enhance the floral notes. It also acts as a preservative after bottling and inhibits fermentation.
Ingredients
30 (ish) Heads of Elderflower
3-4 Rose Heads, The more fragrant the better, (Optional)
1Kg Granulated Sugar
10g Citric Acid
1 Orange/Lemon, Sliced
2 Litres Boiling water
Method
Fill a sink with cold water and quickly wash the elderflower heads (to remove and drown any pollen beetles)
In a large pan bring the water, sugar and citric acid to a simmer.
Add the Elderflower, Rose and citrus slices
Simmer for 30 minutes and then turn off the heat, leaving to steep for around 4 hours
Strain through a double (folded) muslin cloth placed over a colander in another large pan or container.
The finished cordial can now be stored in sterilised bottles which will keep well in the fridge for a couple of months.
A small dash of this cordial goes great with Prosecco, or simply with sparkling water over ice. You can also find lots of online recipes where you can jazz up your desserts too.