Strawberry, Rhubarb and Elderflower Cordial
That something so delicious can be plucked for free and in abundance never ceases to amaze me. I adore elderflower season: at the end of May, I check on the buds at my favourite spots, assessing their readiness and making calculations as to when my elderflower baking can begin. A warm May usually brings the elderflowers out in earnest in early June, but it's sometimes a little later than this. The season is short: pick the blooms while the flowers are frothy and the tiny yellow stamens stand bright and tall. Avoid flowers that have begun to discolour and droop.
Classic cordial is a winning use for elderflowers, but I also like to blend them with other seasonal stars: British strawberries and rhubarb. Not only does the colour look stunning in a glass, it tastes so fresh, combining the muscat flavours of the elderflower, with sweet fruitiness. I like it best topped with cold sparkling water, but its uses are diverse: drizzle it into a sponge cake, pour it into a G&T, or dilute and freeze it into ice lollies. It's also great in my Scraps Trifle. My nephew now declares this version of elderflower cordial to be his favourite!
You'll need to forage about 20 elderflower heads. If you find some on the small side, just make sure you balance this with some larger ones. Take some scissors with you and snip just beneath the bottom of the main stem. Pop them into a basket or other open container so they can breathe and not get too squashed. Aim to use the flowers as fresh as possible.
One more note about foraging elderflowers: I've heard stories of people making cow parsley cordial instead of elderflower cordial. Indeed, the two are often competing for space in a hedgerow, but elderflowers tend to sit higher up than cow parsley. Compared closely with each other, the elderflower is creamier in colour (think frothy bowls of clotted cream), and cow parsley whiter with a more dense structure. If in doubt, smell them: the elderflower's perfume is unmistakable.
Makes 4 litres.
That something so delicious can be plucked for free and in abundance never ceases to amaze me. I adore elderflower season: at the end of May, I check on the buds at my favourite spots, assessing their readiness and making calculations as to when my elderflower baking can begin. A warm May usually brings the elderflowers out in earnest in early June, but it's sometimes a little later than this. The season is short: pick the blooms while the flowers are frothy and the tiny yellow stamens stand bright and tall. Avoid flowers that have begun to discolour and droop.
Classic cordial is a winning use for elderflowers, but I also like to blend them with other seasonal stars: British strawberries and rhubarb. Not only does the colour look stunning in a glass, it tastes so fresh, combining the muscat flavours of the elderflower, with sweet fruitiness. I like it best topped with cold sparkling water, but its uses are diverse: drizzle it into a sponge cake, pour it into a G&T, or dilute and freeze it into ice lollies. It's also great in my Scraps Trifle. My nephew now declares this version of elderflower cordial to be his favourite!
You'll need to forage about 20 elderflower heads. If you find some on the small side, just make sure you balance this with some larger ones. Take some scissors with you and snip just beneath the bottom of the main stem. Pop them into a basket or other open container so they can breathe and not get too squashed. Aim to use the flowers as fresh as possible.
One more note about foraging elderflowers: I've heard stories of people making cow parsley cordial instead of elderflower cordial. Indeed, the two are often competing for space in a hedgerow, but elderflowers tend to sit higher up than cow parsley. Compared closely with each other, the elderflower is creamier in colour (think frothy bowls of clotted cream), and cow parsley whiter with a more dense structure. If in doubt, smell them: the elderflower's perfume is unmistakable.
Makes 4 litres.
Ingredients
1. Prepare the rhubarb: wash it, cut it into inch-long pieces, put it in a small saucepan with no more than one inch of water in the bottom. On a low heat, gently cook the rhubarb until softened (e.g. the pieces are still in tact but no longer woody; about 10 minutes). Strain and discard the juice, and put to one side.
2. Prepare the strawberries: remove the stalk and cut each strawberry in half. Put to one side.
3. Prepare the elderflowers: shake off any insects and then dip each stem briefly in cold water, swishing around to give it a quick wash. Put them to one side.
4. Prepare the lemons: pare them (use a potato peeler to peel off strips of rind) and then slice them. You'll need both the rind and the slices - put them to one side for now.
- 3 long stems of rhubarb
- 400g strawberries
- 20 fresh elderflower heads, cut just below the main stalk
- 1.5 litres water
- 2.5kg granulated sugar
- 2 lemons
- 85g citric acid
- 4 sterilised glass bottles (for a note on sterilising, see my sloe gin recipe)
- Muslin (and large rubber band), clean tea towel (and large rubber band), or fine-mesh sieve
1. Prepare the rhubarb: wash it, cut it into inch-long pieces, put it in a small saucepan with no more than one inch of water in the bottom. On a low heat, gently cook the rhubarb until softened (e.g. the pieces are still in tact but no longer woody; about 10 minutes). Strain and discard the juice, and put to one side.
2. Prepare the strawberries: remove the stalk and cut each strawberry in half. Put to one side.
3. Prepare the elderflowers: shake off any insects and then dip each stem briefly in cold water, swishing around to give it a quick wash. Put them to one side.
4. Prepare the lemons: pare them (use a potato peeler to peel off strips of rind) and then slice them. You'll need both the rind and the slices - put them to one side for now.
4. Boil the kettle and fill a large saucepan with 1.5 litres of the boiled water. Add the sugar and then, over a gentle heat, heat the liquid until the sugar has dissolved. Then, bring the liquid to the boil, let it bubble for about 20 seconds, and then turn off the heat.
5. Add the citric acid and stir until dissolved.
5. Add the citric acid and stir until dissolved.
6. Add the elderflowers, fruit and lemon rind and slices. Stir gently and put the lid on the saucepan. After about an hour, squash the softened strawberries by pressing them between a spoon and the side of the saucepan, releasing the juices. Put the lid back on and leave to infuse for 24 hours.
7. After 24 hours, you're ready to bottle the syrup. Stretch a piece of muslin cloth over a large bowl, securing it in place using an elastic band. A clean tea towel also works, or a fine-mesh sieve. If you don't have a rubber band, try lining a colander with the towel, standing the colander in a large bowl and ladleling the mixture into the colander. Use a ladle to strain the liquid in small batches. Don't squeeze the juice - just let it drop through, otherwise it will go cloudy. Repeat the process, to prevent cloudy formations/sediment in the end product.
8. Store it in a cool, dark place. In well-sterilised bottles, it will keep for a year.
8. Store it in a cool, dark place. In well-sterilised bottles, it will keep for a year.