This highly scented elderflower cordial makes a wonderfully refreshing drink when mixed with still or sparkling water.
Every year in spring I am geared up with a paper box, scissors, 10 empty bottles and literally waiting for elderflowers to bloom. One must be quick as they bloom for few weeks only and you want to collect the flowers that are fully opened that didn’t turn brown yet. If you miss it you have to wait another year. It’s a tradition in our family to make elderflower cordial in a large batch so it lasts for the whole year.
Foraging Elderflowers
When Elderflowers start to bloom, identification is by far the easiest. They produce large creamy color umbels with distinguished scents and flavor that is difficult to oversee. When harvesting flowers keep in mind that with every flower head you snip you are reducing the fall elderberry crop. So, harvest the flowers modestly, don’t take more than 20-30 % of the flowers from one plant.
Keep also some flowers for bees! Search for flowers that are fully opened. The best time to forage them is early morning on a sunny day. Once I collect them I inspect them carefully and remove all the bugs or insects that might be hidden in the umbels. Never rinse them with water as you will wash away the pollen that is a carrier of flavor and scent.
Similarly, I like to make this lilac syrup that reminds me of spring all year long.
History of Elderflower cordial
The history of elderflower cordial can be traced back to Roman times. Nowadays it is very popular in Central Europe, especially in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and England. (wikipedia). Elderflowers are known for their antiviral properties and very often used in immunity boosters. Traditionally, elderflowers were used for detoxification, asthma and allergy treatment. If you have access to elderflowers you must try this tasty and unique Elderflower yogurt, you will love it from day one.
I have been using 2 l bottle and made 1,5 l of elderflower cordial. Mutiply by 10 if you want to make 15 l of elderflower cordial for the whole year.
Feel free to download elderflower cordial label here – the same I used in this video.
Ingredients to make 1,5 l of Elderflower cordial
13 heads of elderflower
1000g caster sugar
1/2 unwaxed lemon
35 g citric acid
1 l boiled water which you cool before use
Making elderflower cordial
First step
Pick the Elderflowers and set them outside for a while so that any tiny bugs hiding in the blossoms have a chance to make their escape.
Second step
Put the white flowers in a bowl with 3 slices of unwaxed (bio) lemon and pour 1 l of cool water which has been boiled before.
Third step
Let it infuse for 24 hours
Fourth step
Strain your cordial through a piece of muslin and pour into a 2 l sterilized jar.
Fifth step
Add the sugar and the citric acid.
Sixth step
Once the sugar is completely diluted, fill in sterilised bottles.
If you keep the cordials in a cool place they will easily last until next year. But we usually drink it all before then.
They make a wonderfully refreshing drink when combined with still or sparkling water.
The citric acid acts as a preservative and also balances the sweet flavor of sugar with its sour touch. If you however decide to skip it, you can adjust the taste with little bit more lemon juice. Elderflower cordial without citric acid will however last up to 4-6 weeks so I suggest to make it in a small batch. Alternatively you can freeze it in ice cube trays if you have large freezer. Use one cube per drink with or without using a mixer.
If you don’t have access to fresh elderflower blossoms, you can use dried elderflowers however the final cordial will not be as fragrant as when used fresh. You will, however, need half of the elderflower volume when you use dried blossoms.
Cordial is in fact flavored simple syrup where sugar plays an essential part of it. You can reduce the quantity of sugar to half and still get a very good cordial or try elderflower liqueur instead where you infuse elderflowers in alcohol to benefit from the scented flavor of elderflowers. There are recipes using honey instead. I have tried that however, the taste of honey is very intense and beats the elderflowers. Moreover it also affects the color of the syrup.
Other recipes with elderflowers
Are you inspired and want to use elderflowers to make natural remedies to boost your immunity, create tasty dishes or enhance your skin? You might want to try this.
Heavenly Elderflower Cordial
This highly scented elderflower cordial makes a wonderfully refreshing drink when mixed with still or sparkling water.
Ingredients
- 13 large elderflower heads
- 1000g (5 cups) or (35.5 oz) caster sugar
- ½ unwaxed bio lemon
- 35 g (1/6 cup ) or (1.2 oz) citric acid
- 1 l boiled water
Instructions
1. Pick the Elderflowers and set them outside for a while so that any tiny bugs hiding in the blossoms have a chance to make their escape.
2. Put the white flowers in a bowl with 3 slices of unwaxed (bio) lemon and pour 1 l of cool water which has been boiled before.
3. Let it infuse for 24 hours
4. Strain your cordial through a piece of muslin and pour into a 2 l sterilized jar. Add the sugar and the citric acid.
5. Once the sugar is completely diluted, fill in sterilized bottles.
If you keep the cordials in a cool place they will easily last until next year. But we usually drink it all before then.
Notes
Citric acid powder, also known as sour salt, is easy to find in many markets, It not only boosts the acidity of the cordial, but it also acts as a preservative.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
40Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
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Where does elderflower grow?
Can you use dried elderflowers for this recipe? Thanks
I would use fresh for this recipe, it has a specific taste that cannot be replaced by dried flowers. I always wait for Elderflowers to bloom and make the cordial for the whole year. The season is about to start here.