A good excuse to get outside and wander the paths is to take advantage of the abundant Sambucus nigra (Elderflowers) between May and June then transform them into tangy and floral cordial…what’s not to like!
I make enough to fill a demijohn knowing it will be liberally guzzled at home whenever the sun is out.
You need plenty of flower heads, 30 is about right for this recipe. Peel the skins from x4 unwaxed lemons using a potato peeler then cut the away the remaining pith from the lemon. Carefully pick out as many of the green stems as possible and keep white lemon pith out of this recipe because they can both turn the whole batch bitter. Bring a large pan with 3.5 litres and 3.5kg sugar to the boil. Take the boiling sugar water from the heat, add the lemons which you have pricked with a fork, and the lemon peel. Stir in 75g of Citric Acid or Vitamin C powder then put the lid on the pan and leave to cool down and infuse for 24 hours.
When 24 hours are up, line a large bowl or jug with muslin gauze and ladle the contents in to strain out the solids.
Pour the cordial into a clean demijohn or glass bottles if that’s what you have to hand. Demijohns can often be found at recycling centres and are worth grabbing when you see them, the going rate seems to be around £1.
Dilute as you would with squash (fizzy water is best) then add a chunk of lime and top the glass up with ice. Store the bottle in the fridge for up to 6 weeks or you can freeze it in ice cube trays or freezer bags but believe me it’s very unlikely to last that long!
© 2026 The Bimbler
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