Healthy Elderflower Cordial

Makes 2 litres

I don’t know about you, but I just adore the aroma of elderflowers.  I used to love ordering an ice-cold sparkling elderflower drink with a sprig of mint and a slice of cucumber (either with or without alcohol) in restaurants until I realised that it would be pretty simple to recreate that fanciness at home too! I always used to buy the elderflower cordial but it wasn’t until last year that I realised how easy (and cost effective) it was to make my own.  I made a big batch, kept it in glass bottles exactly like you would with the shop-bought version and it has lasted me the entire year.   If you’ve never come across fresh elderflowers – they are a pretty and delicate flower with the most gorgeous smell.  I just asked my local greengrocer to keep their eyes peeled for some next time they were at the market, and happily a few days later, I was the proud owner of one kilo of gorgeous elderflowers!

As much as last years batch was a delicious success, this year I decided to experiment with using Erythritol as a natural sugar substitute instead of the traditional kind.  I promise you that you really can’t tell it apart taste-wise from the one with regular sugar. It doesn’t have the horrible aftertaste that stevia does, contains almost no calories and has only 70% of the sweetness of sugar.   I have only been using this form of sweetener (which is a sugar alcohol) for a couple of months now and if you aren’t familiar with it, so far I can highly recommend it!   What’s so great about it, is that it doesn't raise blood sugar or insulin levels, making it the perfect choice for both kids and adults alike; and especially people with diabetes. 

So now that I have a big batch of the elderflower cordial, keep an eye out for a ton of tasty summertime recipes using it! 

INGREDIENTS

·     Approximately 30 Elderflower Sprigs
·     950g Sugar of your choice (I used Erythritol or Xylitol)
·     2L Water
·     Juice & Zest from 2 Unwaxed Lemons
·     Juice & Zest from 2 Unwaxed Oranges 

METHOD

·     Add the sugar and the water to a large saucepan, and heat over a medium heat on the hob until the sugar has dissolved.
·     Remove from the heat and add the juice and zest from the lemons and oranges.  
·     Add the squeezed out lemons and oranges to the saucepan too.
·     Wash the elderflowers and check for any creepy crawlies before adding them to the saucepan.
·     Put the lid on and keep in the fridge to infuse for 24 hours.
·     After 24 hours, strain through a sieve and store in sterilised glass bottles.