Put sliced lemons, elderflowers (not stalks) citric acid and sugar into clean bucket. Pour onto it boiling water sufficient to dissolve sugar.
Stir and then add rest of water. Leave for 5 days stirring night & morning
Strain, pour into sterilized bottles (screw top) eg in plastic tonic bottles and into the deep freeze
To serve : dilute the elderflower cordial to taste with fizzy water, and serve over ice with a slice or two of lemon, or a sprig of mint floating on top
Elderflower Crêpes
Pancake batter :
4 oz ( 110g ) flour
2 eggs
1/2 pint ( 290ml ) of milk
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of oil
1 knob of unsalted butter
1 stem of Elderflower per Crêpe, washed and blossoms cut off stems
Mix the batter ingredients together. Leave to rest 1/2 hour in fridge. Heat oil & butter in small frying pan. When butter has melted, pour into a cup. Mix the elderflowers with batter. Add small amount of the fat to pan. Ladle some batter into pan & fry gently, turning once. Put aside & keep warm until all are done. Dust with powder sugar and serve with vanilla ice-cream.
Elderflower Champagne – makes 4.5 litres / 8 pints
675 grams (1½lbs) caster sugar
4.5 litres (1 gallon) water
2 tablesp white wine vinegar
1 large lemon fined pared skin and juice
4 large elderflower heads, flowers snipped from stems
Pour caster sugar in large bowl, add water & stir till sugar dissolved. Stir in vinegar, lemon juice and rind. Stir in elderflowers, cover and leave for 48 hours. Strain through scalded muslin, pour into clean bottles & screw on tops. Leave to stand for 3 weeks or more. Becomes very effervescent, chill well before serving
