I’ve been making some early Elderflower cordial - normally it’s not ready until June, but this year it will all be over long before then. The blossom needs to be picked just as the flowers are fully open and full of pollen, as it’s the pollen that makes the Elderflower flavour. Most parts of the Elderflower are poisonous even the flowers and berries - unless they’re cooked. To make the cordial I used 25 Elderflower heads, 1 litre of water, 1 kg sugar, 1 pack of citric acid and 1 sliced lemon. Mix the sugar with the water in a large pan, bring to the boil, then add the other ingredients (don’t wash the flowerheads or you’ll wash the pollen out - just pick out the wildlife). Leave it to infuse for 24 hours then strain through muslin/clean tea towel. There are lots of recipes around. If you like it more syrupy you can double the sugar, but I find one pack enough to make a refreshing drink and some delicious recipes like the jelly below:
