At this time of year our elder trees are awash with soft white blooms.
As our lemon trees are laden all year round, it’s a perfect opportunity to make Elderflower Fizz. It’s light and refreshing, and a lovely summer drink.
Here’s how I make it:
2 litres (8 cups) boiling water
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp honey
4-8 heads (depending on size) of elderflower
1 lemon, sliced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
Dissolve sugar and honey in water. Allow to cool, then add remaining ingredients. Cover loosely to keep out unwanted visitors, and leave in a cool, dark place for about a day. Strain into sterilised bottles, and leave for two weeks before drinking. Be prepared when opening, as this gets very fizzy.
Note: leave lots of room in the bottles. One memorable summer I had a batch explode, leaving broken glass and a sticky mess over walls and floor.
This keeps quite well – I once found a forgotten bottle the following summer, and it tasted just fine.
If you have some elderberries (I sometimes freeze a batch), steep them with the other ingredients to make Pink Elderflower Fizz.