Elderflower Cordial, Summer Picnic Party!

Elderflower, the smell & taste always reminds me of summer. Perfect for alfresco dining & picnics! So I thought that it would be ideal to join in the blog Summer Picnic Party that Hani & Beth have organised.

All the other picnic peeps lovely posts are further down the page and are so inspiring and summery. There’s also a competition to enter with some lovely prizes, so scroll down for more details.

Elderflower Cordial is also a brilliant ingredient to add that beautiful flavour to other things, cocktails, cookies, cakes etc

I’m lucky enough to have an elderberry tree in my garden so make things from the flowers & berries most years. They flower between May-July in the UK.

This is my recipe, I’ve tweaked it over the years & this years is the best ever! Sometimes the flower flavour can be overpowering but with the citrus notes this is balanced in total harmony for me.

Check out all the other fantastic recipes from my blogging pals, links below ♥

Elderflower Cordial

Ingredients

875g sugar (caster or granulated is fine)

25 elderflower heads

Zest of 3 lemons

Zest of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

45g citric acid (available from chemists or online)

1.3 litres of boiling water

Place the sugar in a large saucepan or heat resistant bowl. Pour the boiling water over and stir gently until all the sugar has melted.

Add the zest & juice. Slice the remaining 2 lemons and add this too. Stir and add the citric acid. Lastly place in the elderflower heads* and gently stir through. Cover the bowl/pan with a clean tea towel and leave somewhere cool (not in the fridge) for 48 hours, try and remember to give it a stir after 24 hours.

Next, strain through a sieve, I line mine with muslin to make sure the little bits don’t get in the cordial. Then pour into some sterilized bottles**. Seal and keep somewhere cool, it can keep for several months but I prefer to use mine within a month. Once opened store in the fridge and use within a week. Use as you would a cordial, dilute with water to taste. Or lemonade or tonic or add a drop of vodka for a kick!

* Give them a shake and remove any dead bits, insects etc. I don’t wash mine but they are from a tree in my garden so know where they’ve been!

** I sterilize my bottles and jars in the dishwasher or in the oven for 15 minutes on a medium heat.

These are Lemon & Elderflower Sandwich Biscuits, recipe here https://www.samskitchen.net/?p=1269………..♥

Giveaway…

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Thank you to all the amazing Giveaway Sponsors. Be sure to check out their websites below.

The Marshmallow Studio

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Mary Had a Little Party

King Arthur Flour
To enter giveaway please use the Rafflecopter link below. Giveaway will run from July 20th, 2013 till July 27th, 2013. 6 Winners will be picked using the Rafflecopter widget. Prizes will be picked in the order of sponsors you see above, starting with The Marshmallow Studio and ending with King Arthur Flour. Winners will receive one email from hanielas@yahoo.com. Winners will  have 48 hours to respond. New winner(s) will be picked if we don’t hear from you. Thank you and good luck.
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