Season: Late May to June. The sweetly scented, creamy-white flowers of the elder tree appear in abundance in hedgerows, scrublands, woodlands, and wastelands at the beginning of summer. The fresh flowers make a terrific aromatic cordial. They are best gathered just as the many tiny buds are beginning to open and some are still closed. Gather on a warm, dry day (never when wet), checking that the perfume is fresh and pleasing. Trees do differ, and you will soon get to know the good ones. Remember to leave some flowers to develop into berries for picking later in the year. This recipe is based on one from the River Cottage archives; it’s sharp and lemony and makes a truly thirst-quenching drink. You can, however, adjust it to your liking by adding more or less sugar. The cordial will keep for several weeks as is. If you want to keep it for longer, either add some citric acid and sterilize the bottles after filling (see p. 125), or pour into plastic bottles and store in the freezer. Serve the cordial diluted with ice-cold sparkling or still water as a summer refresher–or mix with sparkling wine or Champagne for a classy get-together. Add a splash or two, undiluted, to fruit salads or anything with gooseberries–or dilute one part cordial to two parts water for fragrant ice lollies.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 8 cups

　　About 25 elderflower heads

　　Finely grated zest of 3 unwaxed lemons and 1 orange, plus their juice (about 2/3 cup in total)

　　5 cups granulated sugar

　　1 heaping teaspoon citric acid (optional)

　　

Step 1

Inspect the elderflower heads carefully and remove any insects. Place the flower heads in a large bowl together with the orange and lemon zest. Bring 6 1/2 cups of water to a boil and pour over the elderflowers and citrus zest. Cover and leave overnight to infuse.

　　

Step 2

Strain the liquid through a jelly strainer bag or piece of cheesecloth (see p. 33) and pour into a saucepan. Add the sugar, the lemon and orange juice, and the citric acid, if using. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes.

　　

Step 3

Use a funnel to pour the hot syrup into sterilized bottles (see p. 125). Seal the bottles with swing-top lids, sterilized screw-tops, or corks.

　　The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin.Pam Corbin has been making preserves for as long as she can remember, and for more than twenty years her passion has been her business. Pam and her husband, Hugh, moved to Devon where they bought an old pig farm and converted it into a small jam factory. Using only wholesome, seasonal ingredients, their products soon became firm favorites with jam-lovers the world over. Pam has now hung up her professional wooden spoon but continues to "jam" at home. She also works closely with the River Cottage team, making seasonal goodies using fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers from her own garden, and from the fields and hedgerows.