Course: Main
Servings: 2 litres
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• elderflower heads - 25
• unwaxed lemons - 3
• orange - 1
• sugar - 1 kg
• water - 1.5 litres

Instructions:

1. Check the elderflowers and remove any insects. Pull off the tiny flowers roughly from the heads into a large bowl using a fork or your fingers.
2. Add the zest and juice of the orange and lemons.
3. Pour 1.5 litres of boiling water into a pan and add the sugar. Stir until dissolved, heating gently if necessary. Leave to cool a little.
4. Pour the sugar syrup over the elderflowers and citrus zest. Cover with a muslin cloth or clean tea towel and leave to infuse overnight.
   
5. Strain the liquid through the scalded muslin or tea towel and pour into sterilised bottles.
6. To serve, dilute the cordial to taste with still or fizzy water and serve over ice with a slice or two of lemon or a sprig of mint. It can be added to cloudy lemonade to make a non-alcoholic elderflower fizz.
   

You can use whole elderflower heads but apparently the stems can be a little bitter.

With thanks to Fiona Cope from Hillswick for the recipe and photographs.