Things You'll Need:
- a bit of patience
- 4.5 litres (1 gallon) of water
- 1.8kg (4lb) cane sugar
- Juice and thinly peeled rind of 6 unwaxed lemons
- 70 grams of citric acid (2.5 ounces)
- 40 elderflower heads. Shake them well to remove live insects and only wash if picked beside a road.
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Step 1
The elder tree is more like a sprawling bush than a tree really, which is handy when it comes to picking the fruit. Most people associate elderberries with wine making. I know I have made a few bottles before and they were delicious…. Well they were better than the previous attempts at making wine anyway.
My brother and myself, being inventive teenagers, decided to make a brew and store some wine in a wardrobe in our bedroom away from parental eyes. We were a bit limited for ingredients so we decided to make the concoction out of trebor mints and polo mint, which were easily available from the local shop. These were added to the water, yeast and sugar. After they were mixed and left for a few weeks to ferment we put the liquid into bottles and screwed on the tops. They lived happily in the wardrobe for another few weeks until the pressure got too much. Whilst we were at school one day the bottles exploded, sending the nurtured wine and glass all over the clothes in the wardrobe and flooded the bedroom carpet. That put an end to our bootlegging business…
Back to the elders. The trees are very tolerant of pollution so they will grow practically anywhere. They have attractive flowers that come out around May to June. These can be covered in batter and dipped into hot oil for a minute until they are brown and crispy. They smell a bit like cat spray when they are fresh, but cooked they taste delicious!
The flowers can also be made into a drink, similar to lemonade if sugar is added or if it is mixed with equal parts of yarrow and peppermint, a refreshing hot drink. Later in the year, from now until October, the berries ripen. These berries are rich in vitamins C and A They are good for making wine as I have mentioned and also syrups, jams, and chutney. Herbalists have used all of the elder for years. The tree is shrouded in ancient mystery, one being that you shouldn’t cut down or burn the wood without asking the elder mother, who lives inside the tree. If you have ever tried to burn elder wood you’ll know how reluctant it is to burn, maybe it’s true… I’ll ask the elder mother in future!There are other uses for the plant. The leaves can be used to make a brew to protect plants from aphids and other pests. Old bark makes black dye, the leaves make green dye and the berries can make either blue or purple dye, depending on how ripe they are. -
Step 2
Elderflower cordial
Later on in the year we will be getting elder berries to make jam and wine but for now we can be using the flowers for a refreshing cordial.
Elderflower cordial is a delicious summer tonic that you can make yourself. Julie’s mother makes plenty of bottles of this tasty drink every year and it goes down really well with children and adults alike.
This recipe is best made with fresh flowers, which have been picked on a sunny day when they are still creamy in colour and before they fade to white. At this time they have the highest amount of pollen, which contains the yeast.
4.5 litres (1 gallon) of water
1.8kg (4lb) cane sugar
Juice and thinly peeled rind of 6 unwaxed lemons
70 grams of citric acid (2.5 ounces)
40 elderflower heads. Shake them well to remove live insects and only wash if picked beside a road.
(The ingredients are very open to interpretation, you might like to use less lemons or use 30ml (2 tblsp) of cider or wine vinegar in place of the citric acid) There is also a recipe for elderflower champagne which only uses 2 flower heads. -
Step 3
Method: Bring the water to the boil and pour into a sterilised container. Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. When cool add the lemon rind and juice, also the citric acid (or vinegar) and elderflowers. Cover with several layers of muslin and leave for 24 hours. Stir 3 times a day for 5 days. Filter through muslin into strong glass bottles. The drink is ready after two weeks. Serve chilled, diluted with still or carbonated water to taste. It is best used within three months but it has been known to last up to two years.
For an extra special treat at dinnertime, why not dip the fresh flower heads in batter and deep fry.
Comments
Sumac said
on 8/9/2008 Great article! I especially enjoyed the story of you and your brother attempting to make wine! Reminds me of my brother and me and our escapades. 5 Stars!