My elderflower cordial recipe’s pretty simple: for each 750ml of water you use, heat and dissolve-in 1.25kg sugar then add a sliced lemon, as many washed elderflower heads as will fit in the pan (squish them down a bit) and a teaspoon of citric acid (more if you want it to last a long time; it’s a great preservative). Let it sit for at least a day, then strain and bottle.

We’ve made 1.5l so far and we’re hoping to do two more sessions this spring to give us a total of 4.5l, which should last us through until autumn. We’ve had a little difficulty this year with some kind of insect that’s been attacking the lower flowers of our local elder population, but we’re still getting a good enough crop to work with.