Elderflower season is upon us.

I love elderflower cordial, and I love even more making something this simple in large quantities for my home use when I would have to buy it for about £2.50 for 750 ml in the supermarket.

Last year was the first time I made it, and I had enough stored in the freezer that I have only just finished the last bottle now. This year, with a house move on the horizon, I thought I would try making it to store outside of the freezer so that I can move it with me to my new address when the time comes.

There is a bewildering array of recipes out there, some harder than others, but all close in their actual ingredients and methods. This is the one that I am going to try using this year.

Ingredients

·         30 elderflower heads

·         1.7litres/3 pints boiling water

·         900g/2lb caster sugar

·         50g/2oz citric acid (available from chemists)

·         2 unwaxed oranges, sliced

3 unwaxed lemons, sliced

Preparation method

1.    Gently rinse over the elderflowers to remove any dirt or little creatures.

2.    Pour the boiling water over the sugar in a very large mixing bowl. Stir well and leave to cool.

3.    Add the citric acid, the orange and lemon slices, and then the flowers.

4.    Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

8 teaspoons of sugar

4 pints of boiling water.

Scald the barely with boiling water and then strain. Place in a bowl with the lemon peel and sugar and pour over 4 pints of boiling water. Cover and leave to go cold. Pour slowly into a jug leaving behind the sediment rather than straining it. Bottle up and keep in the fridge. Dilute to taste.