I have a favourite Elderflower Cordial recipe but thought I would try something new this year. Mary Berry’s cordial (recipe below), and the posset she made with it, sounded great.
The posset was good but I found the cordial a little too sharp. My usual recipe (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/elderflowercordial_6465) uses oranges and lemons and has a slightly fruitier taste.
However Mary gave some great tips:
* elderflower heads can be frozen: freeze about 25 heads in a bag and add to the hot sugar syrup straight from the freezer – this will stop them turning brown once defrosted.
* Campden tables are used in home wine and beer making to kill bacteria and also to inhibit wild yeasts – adding this seems to allow the cordial to be kept for slightly longer.
Mary’s Recipe
Ingredients
1.5kg/3lb 5oz caster sugar
2 lemons
about 25 heads elderflowers
50g/1oz citric acid
2 Campden tablets
Preparation method
Put the sugar and 1.5 litre/3lb 5oz water into a large pan. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.
Slice the lemons thinly. Put into a large plastic box or a bucket.
Add the elderflower heads to the lemons with the citric acid and the Campden tablets. Pour over the cooled sugar syrup. Cover and leave overnight or up to a couple of days.
Sieve and strain through muslin into sterilised bottles and store in the fridge.To serve, dilute to taste with still or sparkling water.