I have wanted to make Elderflower cordial for the longest time. I absolutely love it and due to the high price of the commercially produced stuff it's something of an infrequent treat when I've got pennies to spare. Come to think of it, I've absolutely no idea why it's taken me so long to get round to making it? One of life's mysteries, but most likely connected to my incredible Lazy Gene and uber-strong Procrastination Tendencies. I very often have Big Thoughts about doing all sorts of productive, creative things, but the following through with action just doesn't always happen. Oh, and the other thing is that I am quite allergic to elderflowers, or rather the vast amount of dusty pollen they contain. Cath Kidston tissues at the ready for this venture.
This year I noticed a real abundance of elderberry trees/bushes in my neighbourhood throughout June, they seemed to be everywhere I looked and were smothered in flowers. A few weeks ago I had been chatting to a friend about wanting to make elderflower cordial, and she gave me a brief run down of the recipe as she remembered it. Twenty Five flower heads she said. Plus lots of sugar and some lemons. Sounded simple enough, and I figured that twenty five flowers would be fairly easy to harvest.
Not sure what prompted me finally to go forth and Make It Happen, maybe I wanted to do something so very Summery to combat the un-summery weather. Maybe I was just plain bored one damp, overcast Sunday morning. Bored and thirsty perhaps?
Despite the ridiculously unseasonal weather, I really enjoyed my early morning picking trip to the park. I find elderflowers incredibly pretty, they really are beautiful when you study them in close-up.
As anticipated, I had soon gathered twenty five pollen-filled flower heads into my basket. It didn't take long at all and I wished that it had lasted longer. It was definitely the bestest bit of the whole Cordial-making experience (although consuming the finished product is pretty darn good). I felt so pleased with my efforts as I tramped back up the soggy hill with my hedgerow booty swinging in my basket. How wholesome and productive to venture out and gather natures harvest to do fantabulous homemade things with!
Ahhh, long summer grasses, swaying gently in the breeze......you would never believe from this photo how cold it actually was on that first day of July). Freeeeeeeeezing it was.
Just had to share these roses with you, I pass them on my short walks to and from the park and have fallen in love with them over and over again this summer. I so wish that they were mine! Need to purchase and plant roses at number 24. It's a Must-do. Is rose-planting an Autumn pursuit? Any rose-lovers/growers out there, please do pass me some rosy-growing info!
Right then, pull my thoughts away from gorgeous, delightful, fragrant, smoochy pink roses and back to the sneezy, creamy white elderflowers. I loved the look of them inside my strawberry oilcloth lined basket. So pretty.
If you read any recipe for making elderflower cordial, it will always tell you to wash the flowers in water first to get rid of any critters. I didn't actually do this (plain forgot), but I did give the flowers a good shake and an inspection as I pulled them one by one out of the basket. I was completely mesmerized by this spider that crawled out, it is the exact colour of the alchemilla that's frothing away in my front garden. It's the first time I have ever encountered a lime green spider, it was a lovely little critter indeed.
I have to tell you that there are a gazillion-bobillion recipes in the world for elderflower cordial and they seem to vary wildly. Although the main ingredients (flowers, sugar, water, citrus fruit) are pretty much the same in each recipe, the quantities and proportions were staggeringly different. I flicked through about a dozen variations on the internet and perused a few in my books, eventually settling on this one by Sarah Raven.
Sarah's recipe has rather more citrus in than other recipes (2 lemons, 2 oranges and 2 limes, although I left out the limes cos of not having any in at the time). I love citrus flavours though, and I also loved her no-nonsense method.
One other ingredient she also uses (that I miraculously did have in) was citric acid. From what I know of this ingredient, it's a natural product that's mainly used in wine making to act as a preservative. It might possibly also give a little extra fizz-kick to cordials, although that's just a guess. It's perfectly possible to make elderflower cordial without it, but I think it does make it taste better. You can buy it easily online, even Amazon
So this is Sarah's easy-peasy method :: water and sugar in pan, bring to boil. Add in flowers, bring back to boil. Remove from heat, throw in sliced fruit, stir and leave for a few days. Easy or what?
I left my concoction to infuse for 3 days for maximum flavour to develop. Then I strained it through a muslin bag into a big jug and poured it into two empty 1 litre soda bottles.
The Little People were suitably impressed with my efforts and couldn't wait to sample it. The cordial is quite strong and needs to be diluted with water :: we made it first with normal tap water, then later with some bubbly soda water.
It really is delicious. Delicate, refreshing and oh-so-summery. I just wish I'd made more of it now, but there's always next year.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sounds exotic for someone, who lives in Finland. But I'm sure it's good.
Posted by: Lucinda Lynx | December 07, 2019 at 02:21 PM
Hi Lucy, Your spider is Araniella Cucurbitina aka the Green Orb Spider, sometimes called the Cucumber Green Orb Spider. They are a common native species here in the UK and that green colour gives them excellent camouflage in spring/summer hedgerows. I have lots of Alchemilla Mollis in my garden and love how the leaves hold water droplets after rain.
Posted by: Christine Brooks | June 17, 2014 at 09:54 PM
You can plant pot-grown roses any time of the year (although not when it's frosty or too damp), or you can buy bare rooted plants (which are cheaper) from November to April and plant them then (again, when it's not too frosty or wet). We love elderflower cordial, I make it every year. It freezes very well but you need to freeze it in plastic bottles. We drink ours with fizzy spring water. It's so much nicer than the shop-bought cordial and smells wonderful. A proper summer drink! xx
Posted by: Winwick Mum | June 17, 2014 at 09:11 PM
I am going to make it this weekend. Love to try this.
Posted by: Beitske | May 30, 2014 at 07:15 AM
Ooh. I hope my elderflowers are in bloom when I get home next month. I want to try this recipe! P.s. I LOVE the cup!!!
Posted by: Joanne from Colorado | July 16, 2013 at 03:16 AM
This is very much on my todo list for this year now I have seen this. I just need to find some Elder flower bushes now :)
Posted by: CraftyDawn | June 19, 2013 at 06:37 AM
Hi, I am a cordial maker as well. The citric acid acts as a preservative in this case, I believe. I make tons of elderflower cordial and freeze it in plastic bottles so that we can have it throughout the year.
http://www.elegantsufficiency.org/blog/2010/6/7/early-summer-harvest.html
Posted by: Gill | July 24, 2012 at 09:59 AM
http://www.etsy.com/listing/94160668/blue-seaside-cloud-pants-cotton-spring?ref=fp_treasury_12#
I just saw these wee pants on etsy and thought you might LOVE them!!!
Posted by: Liz | July 22, 2012 at 09:25 PM
i love reading your post.
Posted by: Dresses | July 22, 2012 at 03:31 PM
The last couple of weeks of term have been so ridiculously busy that I haven't been able to keep up with all the blogs I read - I tell you I've really missed it! Anyway, I have a few quiet moments and I'm catching up with my faves ;o) Funny I posted about elderflower cordial this week too!! Great minds!! I've never used oranges before, although I can't say that the way I make it is an exact science, I use whatever is in the fruit bowl!! Will have to try oranges next year ...
Have a lovely hol xxx
Posted by: eskimo*rose | July 21, 2012 at 11:06 PM
I have my pot of cordial on the go inside my caravan at the moment and followed your recipe. If you hadnt posted this, I would have walked past that bush this morning without a second thought. Couldnt get the tartaric acid in asda but we stopped off at a farm on way home to buy the BEST scottish strawberries and they were selling it in the farm shop. Must have been meant to be!!! Just hope they are elderflowers and not wild garlic!!!
Have a great weekend. Jet stream on the move, rain, rain, go away.
Posted by: Claire | July 20, 2012 at 10:42 PM
It was funny that you mentioned how easy it was to buy citric acid online - you HAVE to, as so many shops refuse to stock/sell it ! Boots and Superdrug just don't sell it, Sainsburys and Waitrose said they were 'out' of it and didn't knwo when they'd be getting it in again (hmm) but finally Tescos came through and I managed to make three bottles of the stuff.
BTW, am still following up your card catalogue, I haven't forgotten about you !
Posted by: Ponytail | July 18, 2012 at 12:25 PM
Hi Lucy, love your blog, one of the first things I check when I turn my laptop on!! Was on a site called Red Heart this morning, looking through their patterns came across a Granny Tree Skirt to go around a Christmas Tree! thought it might be the kind of thing you like. Am hopeless at linking but you might like to have a look. Victoria
Posted by: Victoria | July 17, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Every year I promise myself that I'll make this cordial and I never get around to it. I love it too! Perhaps next year I'll get myself in order!
Posted by: Kim | July 16, 2012 at 08:39 PM
I made some last month too, absolutely amazing! I've also made blackberry and elderflower vodka http://theanamumdiary.co.uk/2012/06/18/elderflower-recipes-2/ it's soooo darn good!
Posted by: amanda | July 16, 2012 at 03:37 PM
Ohh! I really really want to make some too! Am off on hunt for elderflowers unbashed by torrential rain and citric acid on the way back to school this afternoon! Am very in need of some summer infusion in this weather and the poor old apple tree whose fruit we usually crush for our years supply of apple juice is looking a bit bare of fruit this year due to weird weather! Thanks for the elderflower cordial 'happy thought' which will sustain me! (ps our tkmax had those lovely kilner bottles with the bros bottle tops in last week, so wish id bought them now, better swing by there too!!) x
Posted by: Debs | July 16, 2012 at 02:01 PM
Hi Lucy
Even easier: pour boiling water onto the sugar and bring back to boil (sugar dissolves immediately, then pour the syrup onto the elderflowers/lemons etc and leave for however long you want to. I shaved the zest off the lemons with a potato peeler and then sliced the fruit I'd never made cordial before but there have been so many elderflowers this year and they have gone on much later than usual that I made masses and froze quite a lot of it. Tried several recipes but Sarah Raven's is the best.
Posted by: Liz | July 16, 2012 at 10:19 AM
I have planted my roses in August when I moved to my appartment - they grow gortiously and flower all spring, flower and autumn. If you water them every day they will grow at any time you plant it. it is still enough nice and warm weather so they can develop roots and survive the winter with no problem.
Posted by: jacekica | July 16, 2012 at 07:22 AM
Wow that looks yummy, you clever thing making it! Hop to my blog...my crochet throw is growing well...thanks for your inspiration! x
Posted by: Elisa | July 15, 2012 at 09:04 PM
Just wanted to say thanks so much for the inspiration and the beautiful way you write and illustrate your blog with amazing photos...it's a complete pleasure to read and I pop back regularly. Another ripple blanket being started shortly as they are just so relaxing and such fun to make! Forgot I could crochet until a friend mentioned you and your blog....opened up a lovely colourful world!! Thank you xx
Posted by: Debbie | July 15, 2012 at 06:25 PM
Love your blog and read regularly, introduced it to my daughter who has made some lovely crochet blankets from your instructions. Just wish I had more time (or probably more to the point was more organised) to try all the things you write about.
Posted by: Sharon | July 15, 2012 at 04:42 PM
Hi Lucy, I live in the middle of Germany and we have very cold winters here as well as rainy summers. We have a garden but I'm a terribly inexperienced gardener. Five years ago I ordered English roses (actually bought them online) and planted them in the only sunny spot of our garden. It was a crazy idea, but they weren't that expensive and they are surprisingly sturdy. David Austin's Gertrude Jekyll (climbing variety) has got so huge that I have problems trimming the top (I don't own a ladder), it has lovely bright pink flowers, a lot of them (a bit like in your picture), blooms twice a year and smells heavenly. You can even cut the flowers for a vase. I stuck the plant into the earth in early November, loosely following the instructions. I don't feed it, I don't have green fingers. It has continued to thrive in spite of frost, snow, and lack of attention.
I wouldn't recommend it if hadn't been such a success... Sorry, I don't want to sound crazy and too enthusiastic, but I saw your picture and read your words and thought "now, here's sommething that might work for her too". Good luck :-)
Posted by: Patricia | July 15, 2012 at 04:15 PM
meiveilleux jardin trés belle fleurs
aussi beau que le blog
Posted by: [email protected] | July 15, 2012 at 02:31 PM
Wow, great recipe. I heard this was quite sticky to make and makes a huge mess but you obviously didn't have this problem! Haha.
Posted by: smilernpb | July 15, 2012 at 11:49 AM
What a gorgeous summery post! I have a confession..I have always wanted to make Elderflower cordial, but I don't know what the bush looks lie & would probably end up picking Cow parsley! Oops!
I am absolutely bursting to know what you are knitting. I spy squares & crochet flowers..hmm?
Also wondering what yarn you are using.
I've recently discovered LionBrands Bonbons - teeny balls of coloured yarn - right up your street!
Now I reeeeeally want some Elderflower cordial.
Posted by: Emma Roberts | July 15, 2012 at 11:34 AM