Homemade Elderflower Syrup (Elderflower Cordial)
Tina BevkThis Homemade Elderflower Syrup is one of those old-fashioned pantry staples I make every year. We use it to flavor summer lemonades, mix into bubbly drinks for grown-up gatherings, or even pour over pancakes and vanilla ice cream. Here’s my favorite version—gently heated to preserve flavor and freshness, and easy to store in bottles.
This syrup recipe comes from the kind of kitchen where jam jars are reused every year and handwritten labels fill the pantry shelves. The process is old-school in the best way—steeping, straining, and stirring with intention—and yet it’s really easy to do at home without any fancy equipment. Just clean bottles and fragrant blossoms.
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Important Ingredients
- Elderflower Heads: Fragrant, creamy-white blossoms with a delicate floral aroma—gathered fresh in early summer.
- Water: Gently draws out the flavor during steeping without damaging the flowers.
- Sugar: Helps preserve the syrup and adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance the floral notes.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don’t have organic lemons, use regular ones and just juice them instead of using the zest and peel. You can also add a splash of lime juice for a brighter twist.
- You could swap granulated sugar for raw cane sugar for a slightly deeper flavor.
- If you don’t have citric acid, lemon juice can work in a pinch, but the syrup won’t last quite as long.
- You can add a few sprigs of fresh mint or a slice of fresh ginger during the steeping process for a flavor variation. Just remove them before bottling.
- You can make a smaller batch if you’re working with fewer blossoms or just want a small stash.
This syrup is also great for cakes—I used it with my Sourdough Discard Chocolate Coconut Cake Squares. You can brush a little elderflower syrup over the cake to keep it moist and add a subtle floral flavor.
How to Make Homemade Elderflower Syrup
Step 1: Pick elderflowers on a dry, sunny day when the blooms are fully open and fragrant. Don’t rinse them—just give them a gentle shake to remove any insects.
Place the elderflowers and sliced lemons in a large bowl or pot (Photo 1). Pour the cold water over them. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to steep in a cool place (like a cellar or fridge) for 24 hours.
Step 2: The next day, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to strain it (Photo 2). Press the flowers and lemons well to get out as much flavor as possible.
Step 3: Press the flowers and lemons well to get out as much flavor as possible.
Step 4: Stir in the sugar (Photo 4)and citric acid. Warm the liquid gently—just enough to fully dissolve the sugar. Don’t let it boil. Keep the temperature below 50°C (122°F) to keep the natural flavor and vitamin C intact.
Step 5: Pour the warm syrup into sterilized bottles (Photo 6), seal them tightly, and let them cool completely before storing.
Hint: leave a useful hint here, like let the grill run for 4-5 minutes to burn off any remnants, then clean it. I like to use this bristle-free barbecue brush (affiliate link) for cleaning the grill.
💭Crucial Success Tips
- Pick elderflowers on a dry, sunny day when the blooms are fully open and fragrant for the best flavor.
- Avoid washing them—just shake gently to remove insects. Use organic lemons and slice them thin to help release their flavor.
- Let the flowers steep for a full 24 hours in a cool, dark place. When warming the mixture, do not boil—keep the temperature below 50°C to preserve the syrup’s fresh taste.
- Always sterilize bottles properly before filling, and if storing outside the fridge, heat the syrup to 85°C before bottling to improve shelf life.
FAQ
The sugar helps preserve the syrup and balances the flavor. You can try using honey, but the shelf life will be shorter, and the flavor will change.
It’s highly recommended for preservation and to give that slightly tangy edge. You can find it in most pharmacies or baking aisles.
Heating to 50°C helps keep the flavor fresher but requires fridge storage. Heating to 85°C makes it shelf-stable but slightly changes the flavor—still delicious, just a little less floral.
This syrup will keep for several months if stored in the fridge. Once opened, always keep it refrigerated and use within 2–3 months.
If you’d prefer to store the syrup outside the fridge (e.g. in a pantry), heat it to about 85°C (185°F) after adding the sugar and citric acid—just below boiling. Then pour it immediately into sterilized bottles and seal. This helps kill any microbes and improves shelf stability.
Homemade Elderflower Syrup (Elderflower Cordial)
Ingredients
- 30 - 40 large elderflower heads
- 3 liters water cold
- 2 - 3 lemons, organic, sliced into rounds, or use zest and juice
- 2 kg granulated sugar
- 50 grams citric acid
Instructions
- Pick elderflowers on a dry, sunny day when the blooms are fully open and fragrant. Don’t rinse them—just give them a gentle shake to remove any insects.
- Place the elderflowers and sliced lemons in a large bowl or pot. Pour the cold water over them. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to steep in a cool place (like a cellar or fridge) for 24 hours.
- The next day, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to strain it. Press the flowers and lemons well to get out as much flavor as possible.
- Stir in the sugar and citric acid. Warm the liquid gently—just enough to fully dissolve the sugar. Don’t let it boil. Keep the temperature below 50°C (122°F) to keep the natural flavor and vitamin C intact.
- Pour the warm syrup into sterilized bottles (see below), seal them tightly, and let them cool completely before storing.
Notes
- If you don’t have organic lemons, use regular ones and just juice them instead of using the zest and peel. You can also add a splash of lime juice for a brighter twist.
- You could swap granulated sugar for raw cane sugar for a slightly deeper flavor.
- If you don’t have citric acid, lemon juice can work in a pinch, but the syrup won’t last quite as long.
- You can add a few sprigs of fresh mint or a slice of fresh ginger during the steeping process for a flavor variation. Just remove them before bottling.
- You can make a smaller batch if you’re working with fewer blossoms or just want a small stash.
Nutrition
If you gave this Homemade Elderflower Syrup a try, I'd love to hear about it! Leave a ⭐️ star rating and drop a comment below to let me know how they turned out.
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