Elderflower, lemon & vanilla cordial
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Plus steeping
- Easy
- Makes 1 litre
Ingredients
- 1kg caster sugar
- 2 unwaxed organic lemons , halved, plus a strip of peel
- 1 vanilla pod , seeds reserved
- 1 tbsp citric acid powder or vitamin C powder
- about 40 fresh elderflowers , shaken free of bugs, lightly rinsed
Method
- STEP 1
Fill a large pan with 2 litres water. Add the sugar, lemons, vanilla pod and powder, and bring slowly to the boil. Boil rapidly until the mixture has reduced by half, then remove from the heat.
- STEP 2
Add the elderflowers to the pan and stir gently. Leave to cool completely, then pass through a sieve lined with muslin into another clean pan. Whisk in the vanilla seeds and store the cordial in sterilised bottles with a strip of peel and the vanilla pod added (see tips below). To make a refreshing drink, use 1 part cordial to 5 parts iced water.