The elderflowers are still going nicely in this part of the country so we've been able to make another couple of batches of cordial. The latest lot is steeping in one of our fermentation buckets now and is just about ready to be bottled. Here's the recipe that we use:
1kg sugar
900ml boiling water
40g citric acid
15 large elderflower heads (best picked on a sunny day)
2 lemons, sliced
1 orange, sliced
Dissolve sugar in boiling water in the container you're going to be using, then add citric acid. Snip flowers from the stems and add to the water along with the lemons and orange. Cover container and leave to stand for around 5 days or so. Strain the mixture through muslin that you've scalded with boiling water and then transfer to sterilised bottles.
It needs to be kept in the fridge & will apparently last for up to a year. We've never been able to make it last that long! The picture at the beginning of this post is of the bottled cordial.
It makes a lovely summery drink called Devon Lemonade, a recipe we picked up a few years ago from the Plymouth Gin people:
Put 6 or 7 mint leaves in the bottom of a long glass, muddle them around with some ice cubes. Add 1 measure of gin and 1/2 a measure of elderflower cordial. Top up with fizzy mineral water or soda water. Garnish with a slice of lemon.
Speaking of summery drinks, the liqueur we made with vodka and forced rhubarb back in February is now ready to drink. It's an amazing bright pink colour, is thick and gloopy and totally delicious. It looked so nice we took a couple of pictures that I've put on the end of this post - one of the bottle and one of another great summery cocktail. A nice simple one that involves pouring a measure of the liqueur over ice and then topping up with ginger ale (to taste). Now if we ever get a nice period of summery weather this year, we'll have to choose between the elderflower and this rhubarb fizz. Tough decision...
No comments:
Post a Comment