Easy elderflower cordial

Make a supply of this easy elderflower cordial recipe by food writer Lizzie Kamenetzky when the blooms are in season and it’ll be simple to put together fantastic summer desserts and cocktails for months to come.

“From mid-April I scour the hedgerows for early signs of elderflowers,” says Lizzie. “They often appear first in suburban London, where those extra 1-2 degrees on the thermometer mean we’re the first to get our hands on these beautiful, fragrant flowers. I always pick far too many and end up with bucket-loads of cordial and no room to store it.” It makes a great gift!

• Easy method: This recipe comes together with just 6 ingredients and doesn’t involved simmering time on the hob; the sugar is combined off the heat with boiling water before the elderflowers are steeped in the syrup.
• Use the right sugar: It’s important to use white sugar in this recipe rather than brown as the flavour is unobtrusive and will let the elderflower’s delicate fragrance come through. Use granulated rather than caster sugar, as finer caster sugar is typically more expensive and the granules are going to be dissolved.
• Choose the best elderflower blooms: Elderflower is best picked after a few days of dry, sunny weather, when its fragrance will be at the most intense. Select sprays of flowers that look new, clean and creamy white – not browning or shrivelled. See more information on identifying and foraging elderflowers.
• Using your cordial: The cordial can be enjoyed simply diluted with water or try it in this Italian-style hugo spritz, garnished with mint leaves. It can be used in all manner of desserts and cakes too – discover the best recipes using elderflower cordial.