Elderflower & Lavender Cordial
We love using natural ingredients we find around the hedgerows of the farm and this includes our delicious elderflower cordial - You can enjoy this at one of our events too!
Makes about 2 litres
Ingredients
50-60 heads of Elderflower blooms
150 gm of lavender stems and flower heads
1.5kg Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
2 Unwaxed Lemons
Instructions
Fun the Elderflower blooms upside down and gently shake to get rid of any lingering little creatures. Place in large sterilised bucket or saucepan.
Fold up the lavender heads, stems and leaves and gently crush (to release the lavender oil), and place int he bucket with the Eledflower heads
Place the sugar into a large pan with 1.5 litres of boiling water and stir; then bring to the boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes, until all the sugar has dissolved and remove from the heat.
Cut the lemons into quarters and place in a sterlised large bowl or bucket with the elderflowers. Pour over the warm syrup, then cover with a clean tea towel and leave to sit and steep somewhere cool and shady for 24 hours. Stir with a sterilised spoon after 12 hours.
The next day, strain your cordial using a sieve lined with muslin or a new j-cloth ( I personally use an old pillowcase). Pour the cordial into sterlised bottles , fix the lids on tightly and store in a cool place until you fancy a drop. Remember to dilute it well - a little goes a long way!
Serve it in a tall glass, with crushes ice cubes (frozen with Lavender flower heads) and a slice of lemon.
This will keep in a cool place for up to a year, if you can resist the urge to drink it all within weeks of making it!
