Homemade Elderflower Syrup (Elderflower Cordial)
This 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, which can be just lightly heated to preserve flavor and freshness, or heated well to to store better in bottles throughout the whole summer
The process is kind of old-school: steeping, straining, and stirring, but it's really easy to do at home without any fancy equipment. Just clean bottles and some good blossoms in all you need.
If you like elderflowers, you might want to try fermenting them into elderflower champagne (šabesa)! That's my favorite naturally fermented dring.
Jump to:
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Homemade Elderflower Syrup
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- FAQ
- Homemade Elderflower Syrup (Elderflower Cordial)
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Important Ingredients
- Elderflower Heads: Fragrant, creamy-white blossoms with a nice floral aroma are key. Pick elderflowers on a dry, sunny day when the blooms are fully open and fragrant. Don't rinse them, just shake off any insects (and well, you'll cook everything, so don't worry if there's little things moving and you're not sure you got them all out).
- Water: 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.
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 shake to remove any insects. Don't worry if you didn't get them all, nature is all around us and a little extra protein won't hurt lol.
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. You can keep the temperature below 50°C (122°F) to keep the natural flavor and vitamin C intact. Or you can heat it almost to a simmer instead, which will help preserve it longer.
Step 5: Pour the warm syrup into sterilized* bottles (Photo 6), seal them tightly, and let them cool completely before storing.
How to sterilize the bottles? Wash bottles and lids well with hot soapy water. Sterilize the bottles in a 120°C (250°F) oven for 15 minutes, or rinse them with boiling water. Simmer metal lids separately for a few minutes. Fill the bottles while everything is still warm.
💭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, but don't worry about getting them all. You'll take some out from the water surface right before you'll drain the flowers.
- Let the flowers steep for a full 24 hours in a cool, dark place. I think the fridge is most practical for that, since it'll usually be warm out when you'll be making this.
- 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)
Jump to VideoIngredients
- 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. You can keep the temperature below 50°C (122°F) to keep the natural flavor and vitamin C intact. Or you can heat it almost to a simmer instead, which will help preserve it longer.
- Pour the warm syrup into sterilized bottles (see below), seal them tightly, and let them cool completely before storing.
Video
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.
