Elderflower, lemon & vanilla cordial

A refreshing floral concentrate to dilute with water as a drink or use in creamy light desserts like fools and syllabubs

Prep:10 mins
Cook:40 mins
Plus steeping

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 67
fat 0g
saturates 0g
carbs 17g
sugars 17g
fibre 0g
protein 0g
salt 0g

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

Tip

Citric acid/ vitamin c powder
These can be bought from chemists and health food shops.Storage
You can keep the cordial in sterilised bottles in a cool, dark place for two months or in the fridge for six months. If you want to keep it longer, it can be frozen.Sterilising
To sterilise the bottles, wash them in hot soapy water, rinse, then place on a baking sheet in a low oven to dry completely.

Method

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.
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.