We have loads of elderflowers in our garden and I’d love to make something with them before we move. Any suggestions for easy recipes to use them? Wine? Champagne? Cordial? Anything else, maybe that I can make as part of my christmas present store? How long do elderflower products keep? Thanks

Usually find you cannot go wrong with Sarah Raven’s cordial http://www.sarahraven.com/how-to/seasonal-recipes/5/elderflower-cordial

For other ideas look at http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/search/elderflower/ lots of ideas here.

This year I have made Sarah Ravens quick Champagne from her book Sarah Raven’s Food for Friends and Family p. 229 - if interested let me know as going to be blogging about it.  Super easy to make and I have 5 bottles sitting fizzing already - they have another 8 weeks to go before consumption lol
xx

Do you like gooseberries?  If so you must try gooseberry and elderflower fool.

You need to make elderflower cordial first and gooseberry fool too - add the cordial to the fool to taste and chill .... it is ... for want of a better word, lush!

X

Personally I’d make a batch of elderberry syrup. If its sealed well it’ll last into the winter. Perfect for perking up the immune system and making warm winter drinks from. There is a thread on it somewhere on this forum if you search it I’m pretty sure.

Thanks, those all sound good. I will definitely make some cordial, and the gooseberry and elderflower fool does sound lush!

Elderflowery - I’d definitely be interested in the champagne recipe - does it keep long after it’s ready (that is if it’s not all consumed straight away, lol)?

Elderflower syrup sounds good - I’ll have a hunt for the thread, and a google

We use a recipe for ‘champagne’ based on Roger Philips’ in his gorgeous Wild Food book, some years’ batches have worked better than others for us, some significantly more alcoholic as well, all depends on the wild yeasts I guess.

4 elderflower heads, 1 gallon water, 1 lemon, 650g sugar, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, a few raisins. Basically chuck them all in a tub and leave for 4 days. Dissolve the sugar in warm water but allow to cool before adding the elderflowers so as not to compromise the wild yeasts. I use a muslin to cover the tub, tied down with a hair band so it can breathe but no flies (or small children) can get in. We often add a few more elderflowers and another lemon for flavour. After a few days strain out and bottle. Leave for about a week while it gets fizzy, this depends on how warm the ambient temperature is. If it’s not fizzy when you open it leave it for a bit longer - or somewhere warmer. After having a few exploding pop top glass bottles we use screw top plastic bottles or 5gal beer barrel. You know you need to get a shimmy on and drink it when the bottoms of the plastic bottles pop out so they can no longer stand up - open verrrry gradually if that happens. If you keep them somewhere very cold they may last a good while - christmas could be a challenge though!

Mr Philips also has a recipe for elderflower fritters - fry entire flower heads dipped in batter and then sprinkle with sugar - but I’ve never tried it myself.

We also do the syrup for colds and tincture for hayfever. She’s a magical tree the elder - don’t forget to ask to pick the flowers! xx xx Lucy

We have just done our first batch of elderflower cordial , I can’t believe it’s that time of year again , the fool sounds delicious x

Hi Heggle, you’re so lucky

I’ve just perfected our family recipe for cordial, it makes a thick syrup and is really elderflowery We have it well diluted with fizzy water (with or without vodka or white wine….)

30 flower heads (I know it sounds alot!) put them in a bag in the fridge overnight to make bugs sleepy so they fall off when ypu shake the heads!, 1 kg sugar, 2 lemons, 1 orange, 1.2 ltrs water, 75g citric acid (from chemist)

chop rinds off of fruit , then chop fruit and add all of it to a heat proof bowl, shake bugs from elderflower (don’t wash) and add to bowl too. In a pan add sugar and water and heat until dissolved. Pour on the elderflower and add citric acid and stir gently. Cover and leave overnight. the next day, strain and squeeze into sterilised bottles. It usually keeps quite well if sealed properly, but we never have any left past a month to know!!

you can make an elderflower tea (1 head to 1 mug) and cool and use as a toner for your skin too, it smells lovely, but doesn’t last more than a couple of days in the fridge, so it’s refreshing at least

Enjoy your elderflower

I now need to go and pick some more after reading all the lovely things on here!
I am going to own up, I went to reply and include the recipe for the champagne to read that I do not need to leave my champagne for 10 weeks but 10 days - with that I went to test it out and it exploded open and tastes divine- so the recipe def works!

Quick elderflower champagne from Sarah Ravens book as above.

Boil 4 litres of water, add 600g sugar until dissolved and leave to cool.
Add 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar, 30 heads of elderflowers, zest and juice of 3 lemons.  Sprinkle 1 tsp of dried yeats and cover with a tea towel - leave overnight.
Strain and bottle up.
After 10 days (not 10 weeks lol) its ready.
Use within 2-3 weeks or it will fement further and become wine - have to admit I am leaving a couple of bottles to try it as wine.

Now orf to try some more! ha!

xx

Wow, thank you ladies, I’m sure I can squeeze in making a few of these around packing, before we move in just over a week! The champagne would be fab to toast our new house!