Elderflower cordial

Makes About 600 ml (2½ cups)Time 15 minutes, plus 12–24 hours infusingKeeps Up to 4 weeks in the fridge

• 40 g (1½ oz) elderflowers
• 190 g (scant 1 cup) granulated sugar
• 375 ml (1½ cups) boiling water
• 2 strips lemon peel
• 12 ml (2½ tsp) lemon juice
• 2 g (½ tsp) citric acid

How to make it

1. 1This is Olive’s recipe, halved. Pick any bugs off the flowers by hand; don’t rinse them, or you lose the pollen and its flavor.
2. 2Pour the boiling water over the sugar in a large saucepan and stir until it dissolves.
3. 3Cool slightly, then add the elderflowers, lemon peel, lemon juice and citric acid. Stir gently, cover and leave 12 to 24 hours.
4. 4Strain through a muslin-lined sieve and pour into a sterilized bottle. Keep chilled.

BBC Food’s version (Lotte Duncan) steeps the flowers overnight in boiling water with sliced oranges and lemons, then strains it and simmers it with the sugar and citric acid; it makes 2 litres that keep for months sealed.

Recipe: Olive Magazine: Elderflower cordial (Nadine Brown) · Checked against: BBC Food: Elderflower cordial (Lotte Duncan)

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