When it comes to elderflower syrup I have a mild case of once bitten twice shy. I love the taste of the stuff, but the first time I made it ended in disaster. I overlooked the bit about storing the syrup in the fridge. To cut a long story short, I arrived home from a business trip at midnight on a very hot day in mid June to find that a 750ml bottle of syrup had exploded in the cupboard. The syrup and glass shards were stuck to everything inside the cupboard, but the force had blown the cupboard door open and so it was also on the kitchen floor and all the way down the front of the microwave, fridge and oven. The syrup had begun to ferment and that caused the explosion. To this day the two knobs on the cooker are sticky and hard to twist.[I did briefly consider entitling this post “An Explosion and Two Sticky Knobs” but then thought the better of it].
At the start of last week the elderflowers came into bloom. Needless to say, I was hesitant about making elderflower syrup again. Unsure of how the weather, which has been swinging between 13°C and 30°C lately, would be over the next few days I decided to go ahead and pick some while I had the chance. Number Two and Number Three took it upon themselves to get in the way help me.
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Nothing gets a four year old boy more interested in helping than allowing him to climb a ladder.
2.5 kg sugar
2 lemons
1.5 L water
15-25 heads of elderflowers, depending on the size.
I got an elderflower and lime wine in LIDL the other day it was really good and fizzy. I'm going to be hunting elder flower soon
Do Mira, do. Once you have your own syrup, you can mix it with sparkling wine, fizzy water, soda or tonic and it tastes delicious and refreshing.
I mean to do this EVERY year!! And each year the flowers go over before I get around to it… and every year, I say… 'THIS is the year'. So once again… THIS is THE year!!!! LOL! (I bet I don't do it!! 😉 ) Thanks so much for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Caro | http://www.thetwinklediaries.co.uk
Beware…once you do it you will feel even more like you need to do it the next year. But it is just so tasty! I can highly recommend it, despite the danger of explosions 🙂
I know I shouldn't laugh at your explosions but…!!! I've said every year for the past 12 that I'd make elderflower syrup. I really need to get my act in gear. (And why ever would you not name this post “An Explosion and Two Sticky Knobs” ?!)
Make it Emily. And if yours explodes, you can steal the name I was too shy to use 🙂
I want to try this but our elderflowers are not out yet. Bit scary it can explode!
I know Alison, but as long as you strain it really well and keep it in the fridge, it should be fine.I lft mine steeping for two days the time it exploded. The weather was very hot and that must have started it fermenting.
This year I only steeped it for 24 hours and botted and refridgerated it straight after straining.