Moderators: Elvis, DrVolin, Jeff
Make your own bubbly with this elderflower champagne recipe from River Cottage Spring
Please note we've amended the amount of sugar in this recipe from the original plus we've talked to Hugh about the various results it produces – he says this is down to the differences in elderflower crop and suggests using glass bottles with swing tops plus keep an eye on the brew.
Makes about 6 litres
Ingredients
4 litres hot water
700g sugar
Juice and zest of four lemons
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
About 15 elderflower heads, in full bloom
A pinch of dried yeast (you may not need this)
Method: How to make elderflower champagne
1. Put the hot water and sugar into a large container (a spotlessly clean bucket is good) and stir until the sugar dissolves, then top up with cold water so you have 6 litres of liquid in total.
2. Add the lemon juice and zest, the vinegar and the flower heads and stir gently.
3. Cover with clean muslin and leave to ferment in a cool, airy place for a couple of days. Take a look at the brew at this point, and if it’s not becoming a little foamy and obviously beginning to ferment, add a pinch of yeast.
4. Leave the mixture to ferment, again covered with muslin, for a further four days. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with muslin and decant into sterilised strong glass bottles with champagne stoppers (available from home-brewing suppliers) or Grolsch-style stoppers, or sterilized screw-top plastic bottles (a good deal of pressure can build up inside as the fermenting brew produces carbon dioxide, so strong bottles and seals are essential).
5. Seal and leave to ferment in the bottles for at least a week before serving, chilled. The champagne should keep in the bottles for several months. Store in a cool, dry place.
Sallys Simple Elderflower Cordial (submitted by Sally in Wales)
I used to faff around with complicated recipes, these days I do it this way:
Boil sugar, water and a bit of lemon juice to get a medium sugar syrup. Cool
Go and pick elderflowers. Soak them in the syrup overnight.
Strain.
Bottle (keep in fridge! this recipe is not sterile!)
Add to water for quick elderflower cordial.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest