I have been playing at being a Domestic Goddess again. Yesterday I managed to find some accessible off-road elderflowers, plus citric acid, granulated sugar and fresh lemons in the local village shops. Syrup was made, lemons had their zest peeled off and were then sliced and steeped overnight in the syrup with the elderflower heads and citric acid.
Today I found clip-top bottles at the hardware shop in the next village and now the cordial is bottled up. A tip - if you are sterilizing your bottles by washing them well, then sterilizing in a warm oven, remove the clip tops first. I found out the messy way that the caps are no longer ceramic, but plastic. Luckily more bottles were available.
Loads of recipes exist on the internet - I used this one as a basis but deviated a little in quantitites. It tastes wonderful and I'm looking forward to finding ways of using it - it's wonderful with gin on the rocks! Now I feel like exploring more elderflower recipes - but first need to gather more blossoms. Anyone got any spare?
This photo was taken using flash and the colour is a bit more truthful, but I loved the light and contrast of the previous one, with only natural light.
It looks as it it will be a good year for blackberries, too.
The bramble bushes are absolutely smothered in buds - I've never seen the like before. Definitely worth a return visit later in the year!
3 comments:
Enjoy the elderflower, especially with the gin! I shall have to remember to go blackberrying later. Time for a dye-fest!
Sue, we have two or three bushes in the garden which keep us well supplied and which are still blooming - come on over! Just bottled my sixth batch of the summer - all of which is in plastic bottles to go into m-i-l's freezer later. We then decant into the spring top Frnech lemonade bottles for use.
Try St Germain liqueur, elderflower cordial and sauvignon blanc wine...top up with soda water to taste. Delicious!!
Oh you managed to make some! I am still trying to fit it in! I bet it tastes delicious! Fingers crossed I manage it before all the flowers finish.
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