ELDERFLOWER SYRUP RECIPE
Elderflower Syrup Recipe
Delicious homemade cordial for summer and winter – FREE Printable Labels!
This year I’ve been really excited about making one recipe – elderflower syrup! I’ve been looking at the expensive organic homemade options available in store and thinking that I need to
try my own. Elderflower bushes bloom in May/June each year and are best collected during the morning. It’s been raining a lot lately but one day it was beautifully sunny. We went into the fields to pick the blossoms from clean bushes. It’s never a good idea to choose an elderflower bush close to the road or near a frequently visited place. Always try to find somewhere remote to pick the flowers. It’s because ideally the blossoms should not be washed. Washing in water will wash the pollen away which removes most of the flavor as well. Ideally, choose a morning after the rain and remove any insect or debris manually by hand.
Is elderflower syrup healthy?
Yes. Elderflower blossons are known to contain properties useful against cold, with antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and slightly sweat-inducing properties. They encourage coughing up of phlegm and release mucus from the respiratory system. Also, elderflowers help to sooth digestive cramps associated with flatulence. Of course, the syrup is made of sugar so the calorie content is quite high. However, you’ll most probably never drink the elderflower syrup on it’s own.
Tip!
Pour approximately 3 tablespoons of the syrup into a glass and top with chilled soda water. Add a couple of slices of lemon, for an alcoholic option even a few large cubes ow white wine! In winter days make a herbal tea! Pour 3 tablespoons of the syrup into a mug, add 3 slices of lemon and a couple of spoons of dried linden flowers and top with hot water. If you also collect and dry the elderflowers, use these instead of the syrup.
More homemade recipes for you to try:
- Homemade Lilac White Chocolate
- Delicious Granola Bars – Free Printable Label
- Healthy Grapefruit Lemonade
- Super-easy Homemade Bread Recipe
- Marinated Camembert Cheese
- Homemade Lavender Ice-Cream
- Edible Flower Biscuits
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Elderflower Syrup Recipe
Preparation times:
- 2 hrs flower picking
- 1 hr cleaning + prep
- 48 hrs leaching
- 1 hr final steps
Amount:
2 l of Elderflower Syrup
Ingredients:
- Approx. 800g of picked Elderflower blossoms
- 1 kg of granulated sugar
- 3 lemons
- 2 l of water
- Large glass container with a lid (fits 5 l)
- Glass syrup bottles (two 2 l bottles new or recycled)
- Cotton cloth for sieving
- FREE Printable Labels for your syrup bottles
If you enjoyed making this delicious recipe, pin it for later to your homemade recipes Pinterest board!
This article may contain affiliate links. For more information visit our Terms & Conditions page.
Instructions
Picking the flowers
Choose a clean remote place for elderflower picking. I have already mentioned that this is because the flowers are best left unwashed so you want to collect them from a clean, unpolluted area. Pick flowers which are open without debris or dry patches and make sure to carefully observe for any bugs, flies or aphids. You will see the yellow pollen falling out while you pick the flowers. This is what you need for the syrup so if ripping the stems by hand removes too much of it, use scissors instead. Collect enough to fit the 5 l glass container (approx. 800g – 1kg).
Preparing the lye mixture
After you’ve collected the flowers leave them for a moment in an open flat basket – this will allow any last insect to get away. However, do not leave the flowers for too long (a couple of days) because they will begin to rot very quickly. Make sure that you never use aby flowers which are getting dark in colour, try to use only fresh picked flowers. Leaving the flowers for an hour or two is perfectly enough ant you can begin to gently cut them up into the glass container.
Use scissors to remove most of the stems and any debris you find. As the flowers create layers inside the glass container, regularly add slices of lemon. Cut all three in slices and add them evenly around and between the cut up flowers. Press the flowers gently a few times to create more space and fit more in. Eventually you will reach the top of the container so it’s time to pour the sugar water.
Sugar water
Put 2 l of clean water into a pot and bring to boil, then turn the heat off. Add 1 kg of granulated sugar, mix to disolve and let it cool down. Then pour the cool sugar water over the flowers and lemons all the way to the top. Close the container with a lid and put in a fridge for 48 hrs. You can mix the mixture a few times too.
Final steps
Take the container out of the fridge after 48 hrs. Prepare a large pot, place the cotton cloth over the top and pour the mixture over it. This will strain the mixture, remove the solid parts and collect the syrup inside the pot.
Preserving the syrup:
If possible, I usually try to avoid adding any unnecessary chemicals into my recipes. To preserve the elderflower syrup you usually add a spoon of lemon concentrate into the sugar water. However, I took a few other steps to achieve similar result without having to use the lemon concentrate. I added 2 more lemons to the mixture (total of 5), heated the strained lye to the boiling point and turned it off because the heat helps to preserve the syrup for longer. I also kept the syrup inside the fridge.
If you prefer to use the lemon concentrate, add only 3 lemons to the leaching mixture and a spoon of lemon concentrate into the sugar water. After you strain the mixture you won’t need to boil the syrup, fill the bottles straight away with the cold syrup.
Filling the bottles with elderflower syrup
Whether you strained and boiled the syrup or used the lemon concentrate and left it cold, you’ll need to put the syrup into glass bottles. Recycling old clear wine bottles with a cork lid will be ideal! Alternatively, you can buy affordable glass bottles intended for homemade recipes. Fill them up to the top and close thoroughly. Print out our FREE Elderflower Syrup Recipe Labels and stick them on each bottle. Keep the syrup in a cool place for up to a year! Enjoy!
If you enjoyed making this delicious recipe, pin it for later to your homemade recipes Pinterest board!
This article may contain affiliate links. For more information visit our Terms & Conditions page.
