Homemade Elderflower Syrup (Cordial)

Close up of three bottles filled with elderflower cordial.

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Elderflower Syrup (Cordial)

Homemade elderflower syrup or cordial is simply a must for that sweet and fragrant taste of early summer! Really easy to make and oh so refreshing, make sure not to miss a chance of making your own as elderflower season is only fleeting.

Course Drinks

Cuisine British

Keyword elderflower cordial, elderflower syrup

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Steeping Time 12

Total Time 12 30

Servings 2 tablespoon servings

Calories 64kcal

Author Jo Allison

Equipment

Ingredients

20-30 Elderflower flower heads depending on the size
1.5 ltr water
1 kg granulated or caster sugar
3 unwaxed organic lemons
1 organic orange optional, can be substituted with extra lemon or not
1 teaspoon (heaped) citric acid completely option, I don't use it here

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Spread freshly picked elderflowers in a single layer on a large tray or a table lined with old newspapers in the hope that at least some of the bugs will crawl out.
***Quick Tip*** I would advise against washing or rinsing your elderflowers as it will remove not only bugs but lots of the precious flavour.
20-30 Elderflower flower heads
In the meantime pour 1.5 litre of water in a large pan and bring it to boil.
Once boiling , lower it to simmer and empty in 1kg of granulated sugar stirring until it completely dissolves.
Take off the heat and let it cool down slightly.
1.5 ltr water, 1 kg granulated or caster sugar
As the sugar syrup cools, zest the lemons and an orange (if using), keeping zested fruit in the fridge until needed later on.
Put all of the zest in a large bowl which will be used for steeping elderflowers.
3 unwaxed organic lemons, 1 organic orange
Next, take elderflowers off their stems either gently with your fingers or you can use a fork (similarly to my elderberry cordial recipe). You want to discard as much of the stalk as possible and definitely the thicker parts.
***Quick Tip*** As you strip elderflower heads off their flowers you will most likely notice tiny little bugs trying to crawl out of the bowl. I tend to use slightly damp paper towel and wipe around the bowl as I go to get rid as many of them as possible. The rest will get strained later.
Once you've got a bowl full of zest and elderflowers, pour over the sugar syrup and use a wooden spoon to press down any flowers poking out of the water. You want them to be mostly submerged.
Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave in room temperature to steep for 12-24 hours or overnight.
The following day, strain the liquid through a sieve lined with muslin cloth or jam straining kit to get rid of all the flowers and remaining bugs.
***Quick Tip*** Feel free to squeeze the muslin as much as you can to get as much flavour out of the elderflowers as possible.
Pour strained liquid into a large pan.
Squeeze the juice out of previously zested lemons and an orange (if using) and add the juice to the pan as well.
***Quick Tip*** If you decide to add citric acid you would do it at this stage.
1 teaspoon (heaped) citric acid
Bring the syrup into a boil, lower the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes longer.
If there is any scum on the surface, simply remove as much as you can with the slotted spoon.
Pour hot elderflower syrup into sterilised bottles/jars, close the lids/tops and let them cool in the room temperature, away from direct sunlight.
***Quick Tip*** Avoid pouring hot syrup into cold bottles/jars as it may cause them to crack or even explode. When sterilising your bottles/jars try and time it so that they're ready at the same time as your cordial.
Once cold put in the fridge and use within 6 weeks or freeze if you'd like to keep it for longer.

Notes

Nutritional information is per serving (2 tablespoon of undiluted cordial/syrup), is approximate and should be treated as a rough guideline only.
Elderflower cordial will keep in the fridge for up to 6 weeks but is also freezer friendly. For more details see Storing
When preserving your own food, always sterilise bottles/jars you use for your preserves. See Sterilising glass bottles and jars for more info.
Dilute elderflower cordial either in sparkling or still water. The ratio of syrup to water will depend on how sweet you like your drink. I like the ratio of 2 tablespoon to 200ml(6.76 fl.oz.) water.

TIPS:

Be gentle when picking elderflowers. Nice roomy basket or a small, portable crate where you can gently lay the heads would be ideal.

You will find that there are fair few little bugs in the flowers. I like to lay the heads down on a tray or a table lined with old papers as I prepare my sugar syrup. It's all in the hope that some of them crawl out, and some do, but only some.

Get rid of as much stalk as you can as you don't want to impart bitterness onto your cordial.

As you "pluck" the flowers off the stalks and into the bowl you will inevitably see little bugs crawling out on the sides. I like to keep slightly damp paper towel handy to wipe them away.

Nutrition