Every year I swear I am going to make elderflower cordial, but I am defeated because I cannot obtain citric acid. Last year I got some from the wholefood place I use occasionally - and missed the season somehow. So this year I put it in the calendar.
We went to Pegwell Bay where there are plenty of the bushes, unfortunately a lot of them are ringed by tangles of brambles and nettles, long grass and alexanders - but eventually we picked enough for cordial, and for elderflower champagne.
Elderflower champagne - part 1
15 elderflowers heads, 700g sugar, 4 lits hot water, 2 lits cold water, zest and juice of 4 lemons, 2 tbsps of white wine vinegar.
Dissolve the sugar in the hot water, add the elderflowers, lemon juice and zest and the winegar, add a further 2 litres cold water. Stir to make sure everything is mixed in, cover with a muslin cloth, leave in a cool spot.
This is how far I have got. Within 2 days I must see if the mixture is going frothy (fermenting) - if not, one adds a pinch of yeast (I do hope Doves's Farm easiblend is OK - it's all I've got - unless I add a spoon of the sulky sourdough!). After a total of 6 days frothing one simply strains and bottles it. Et voila! Except that apparently, that is when the fun begins - but I shall deal with that in a future post.
Elderflower cordial - part 1
Take 25 Elderflower heads, clean, insect free, put into a large container, cover with the zest of one orange and two lemons, pour 1.5 litres of boiling water over it and leave for 24 hours or so. The next stage involves industrial quantities of sugar (1 kg actually) and the citric acid, and some boiling - but again, this will be dealt with in a future post.
The essential ingredient, apart from the elderflowers is an enormous quantity of steriliised bottles. Because I know the champagne is temperamental and explosive I shall be using old plastic bottles and giving the liquid plenty of space to expend. I have a feeling that plastic milk flagons will be quite good for this. We shall see.
Elderflower champagne - part 1
15 elderflowers heads, 700g sugar, 4 lits hot water, 2 lits cold water, zest and juice of 4 lemons, 2 tbsps of white wine vinegar.
Dissolve the sugar in the hot water, add the elderflowers, lemon juice and zest and the winegar, add a further 2 litres cold water. Stir to make sure everything is mixed in, cover with a muslin cloth, leave in a cool spot.
This is how far I have got. Within 2 days I must see if the mixture is going frothy (fermenting) - if not, one adds a pinch of yeast (I do hope Doves's Farm easiblend is OK - it's all I've got - unless I add a spoon of the sulky sourdough!). After a total of 6 days frothing one simply strains and bottles it. Et voila! Except that apparently, that is when the fun begins - but I shall deal with that in a future post.
Elderflower cordial - part 1
Take 25 Elderflower heads, clean, insect free, put into a large container, cover with the zest of one orange and two lemons, pour 1.5 litres of boiling water over it and leave for 24 hours or so. The next stage involves industrial quantities of sugar (1 kg actually) and the citric acid, and some boiling - but again, this will be dealt with in a future post.
The essential ingredient, apart from the elderflowers is an enormous quantity of steriliised bottles. Because I know the champagne is temperamental and explosive I shall be using old plastic bottles and giving the liquid plenty of space to expend. I have a feeling that plastic milk flagons will be quite good for this. We shall see.
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