Once open your cordial should be fine for at least 2 weeks, but keep it in the fridge, just in case. The perfect summertime drink with still or sparkling water (the latter for elderflower pressé) and/or a dash of gin. Alternatively, added to wine or champagne. This recipe doesn’t require citric acid. The story behind the recipe Cover with boiling water (I boil my water in a kettle and then place my plastic bowl directly on a scales, making sure they are set to zero and pour out the 650ml of boiling water) Don’t mistake the elder tree for cow parsley, a similar white flower. Cow parsley, also known as wild chervil, is a herbaceous perennial, rather than a tree, and the flowers are smaller and whiter than elderflower. How to Make Elderflower Cordial – Recipe Step-by-Step

Shake the flowers to make sure there are no insects hiding inside, but don’t wash them as this can spoil the flavour. Heat until stevia is entirely dissolved (there should be white, cloudy stuff on the top but it will disappear when you stir though.) Just make sure there’s no granules sitting on the bottom. For the most wonderful homemade elderflower cordial recipe, keep reading. ELDERFLOWER’S COLOURFUL HISTORY Combine low carb sweetener, water and citric acid in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring until sweetener and citric acid are completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave it to completely cool to room temperature.

Five ways to stay hydrated… 

My own particular favourite is elderflower champagne. For a very modest outlay – a fermenting bin and pressure barrel – plus a mere tenner’s worth of ingredients, you can make 40 pints of very palatable beer-strength sparkling booze in only a week. HARVESTING ELDERFLOWER Stevia (naturally made from plants, is as sweet as sugar, but has no calories, is white and tasteless, which is great as it won’t overpower the delicate flavour of elderflowers)

Place the rind, juice and left over lemon & lime halves in a really large bowl (like – the largest you have!) and tip the stevia-water liquid on top. Step three – Pour the sugar syrup over the elderflower heads and sliced lemons. Push the elderflowers down into the liquid, making sure all the flowers are submerged. This depends on how you’ve made it and how well you’ve managed to preserve it. It’s important that you use a sterilised glass bottles and seal the bottles (or close) straightaway. Milk is one of the best drinks to have after sport. It’s hydrating and a good source of calcium, protein and carbohydrate. Choose skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.I’d also recommend elderflower fritters. Try making this super easy tempura batter to deep-fry the heads for a gorgeous dessert, served with lemon and a little sugar. Sorbet is another winner. Simply make this lemon sorbet and add four tablespoons of elderflower cordial for a refreshing twist. Elderflower and gooseberries make a wonderful pairing of flavours and this jam is an excellent choice to layer on a piece of toast or hand out as edible gifts. Strain the flower-infused liquid through muslin or tea towel, gently squeezing it to extract all the juice. Measure the amount of juice. But you can use elderflower cordial for other things than just drinks... Try our other elderflower recipes: