Elderflower Cordial
A British early-summer ritual — fresh elderflower heads gathered at peak bloom and steeped for 24 hours in a hot lemon-and-sugar syrup that coaxes out their fleeting muscatel fragrance, producing a golden, intensely floral cordial that diluted with cold sparkling water tastes of warm meadows and the longest days of the year.
Ingredients
For 4 servings · tick what is ready
Use the scaled ingredient list. Steps and temperatures stay unchanged; use a larger pan or dish if needed. Seasonings to taste stay to taste.
How to make it
Combine the sugar and water in a large, wide saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until every grain of sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup is clear — this takes about 5 minutes. Do not boil the syrup aggressively; a gentle simmer is enough to dissolve the sugar and sterilize the liquid. Remove from the heat as soon as the syrup is clear and the surface has just begun to simmer. A fully clear syrup means no undissolved sugar crystals remain — cloudy or grainy syrup means the sugar hasn't fully dissolved and the cordial may crystallize in the bottle.
Shake the elderflower heads gently to dislodge any insects — do not wash them, as water dilutes the fragrant pollen that is the heart of the cordial. Add the flower heads and lemon slices to the hot syrup. Stir in the citric acid. Cover with a clean cloth or lid set slightly ajar, and leave to steep at room temperature for 24 hours. The syrup will slowly turn from clear to a pale golden-green as the floral compounds, lemon oils, and citric acid infuse. Do not refrigerate during steeping — the cold slows the infusion and you lose complexity.
Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth or a clean, unscented muslin cloth. Strain the cordial through the cloth, pressing gently on the flower heads. Do not squeeze aggressively — pressing too hard forces green, bitter plant material through the cloth. Transfer the strained cordial to sterilized glass bottles with tight-sealing lids. Seal and refrigerate. The cordial keeps for 6 weeks refrigerated, or can be frozen in ice-cube trays for use year-round. To serve: dilute 1 part cordial with 4–5 parts sparkling or still water, or splash over prosecco.
About this recipe
By ForkRecipe Kitchen · Source: ForkRecipe / FoodML and contributors. Recipe content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Serving count is an estimate; check quantities in the source recipe.