Allotments 4 All
Produce => Drink .... => Topic started by: Mrs Ava on May 11, 2004, 18:16:37
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So, on new numero 2 plot I have a rather tatty old elderberry tree, tis going to be severly pruned later in the year, but not before I have plundered all the flowers to make yummy cordial. I think, if my poor sloe gin damaged memory serves me correctly, it was Gavin who posted a recipe for this somewhere.....but me being in a rush - as usual, off to the circus with the sprogs - any chance of you posting it again for little old me just here? Ta everso. :-* ;D
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EJ you should make elderflower wine.YUM, or even better, wait for the berries and make elderberry wine..even BIGGER YUM!! DP
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There you go, Emma Jane!
(Remember a couple of plastic bottles in the freezer for happy memories and optimistic dreaming at Christmas and New Year!!!!!)
Ingredients:
20 elderflower heads;
1 lemon (sliced);
2tsp citric acid;
3 1/2lb sugar;
2 1/2 pints boiling water.
- Put all the dry ingredients into a clean pan. Pour boiling water over. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Skim. Cover with a cloth or lid. Stir twice daily for five days. Strain through muslin and bottle in clean sterile bottles.
- The cordial can be frozen in plastic bottles (leave space for expansion). Fresh cordial can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.
- Dilute with water, sparkling mineral water or lemonade and serve with slices of lemon and sprigs of mint. Add gin and soda water, or vodka. Make diluted Elderflower Cordial into a delicately refreshing sorbet.
Enjoy! All best - Gavin
PS Lots of interesting stuff here http://www.patch-work.demon.co.uk/elder.htm (http://www.patch-work.demon.co.uk/elder.htm)
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Ta very much Gavin. Will monitor the elderflowers, don't wanna miss them, and get down the chemist tomorrow for some citric acid.
Ava and I would love to make our own vino DP, but apart from the time and money it takes - both of which we currently have very little, we would both be alcoholics within days of brewing the stuff! The sloe gin was consumed almost instantly!! :o
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Has anyone tried elderflower champagne? I fancy giving it a go -aside from anything else it will force me to bottle some of the elderberry wine to free up a demi-john.
Jeremy
P.S. Don't want to turn you into a dipso E-J :) -but it is very cheap to make your own wine -only cost above the cordial is a sachet of yeast and while demi-johns air-locks &c. are nice they're not necessary as other things can be used instead.
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Went to my chemist today and they can no longer get citric acid! I shall have to keep hunting, but is there something I can use instead?
As for the vino......maybe one day... :P
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1. Elderflower champers - of course - & no yeast needed.
2. Cordial - yes - cook your rhubarb in it. = Tim
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1. Elderflower champers - of course - & no yeast needed.
No yeast? Do you just use any that happens to be on the flowers then?
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Ooops - citric acid. Sorry - I'd forgotten that bit. :(
I'd scribbled the recipe down from somewhere, no idea where now - and I too have not found citric acid. I just add the juice of a second lemon - seems to work. Correction - it works well!
All best - Gavin
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db - yes. = Tim
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Thanks Gavin. The flowers are fattening up nicely, will moniter closely, don't wanna miss them! Mind you, if I do, then I will just have to make do with the berries later in the year.
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Don't forget to harvest them early in the day EJ and elderflower champagne is easy and wonderful! A gorgeous refreshing, slightly dry drink but still enough sweetness to suit most palates, superbly suited to summer days in the garden! ;D Ideal picnic libation!
I have to confess to making some for a party once, when I did add some wine yeast compound. However, I made mine in 5 gallon beer barrel with air lock. Had exactly the same taste as Gavin's method but one lady, who took quite a fancy to it, suddenly announced she never realised such a light, home made drink could make her so tipsy! I did try to warn her! ;D
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Soooooooooo happy! Elderflowers picked this in the early morning sun with number one son today and now they are in their pan, marninading for a few days before bottling and enjoying! There are still loads of flowers coming, and I discovered another bush covered, so I may make another batch, then wait for the berries to make some jelly! Yum! Roll on sloe season! ;D
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Emma, You cant have your cake and eat it too. ;) If you have used all the flowers for cordial/champagne, then there will be no berries for jelly. OOO decisions decisions....... booze v jam. No contest in my mind. :P Go for the jam ;D
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Let me apologise for my ignorance here....
What do elderflowers look like ???
and
How do you make the champers ???
Profuse apologies...please help an ignoramus ;D ;D
Debs
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Let me apologise for my ignorance here....
What do elderflowers look like ???
and
How do you make the champers ???
Profuse apologies...please help an ignoramus ;D ;D
Debs
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2 for the price of one :)
http://www.ukwildnews.co.uk/wildfood.htm (http://www.ukwildnews.co.uk/wildfood.htm)
http://www.hopshopuk.com/recipes/elderflower.html (http://www.hopshopuk.com/recipes/elderflower.html)
enjoy,
Jeremy
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Dunno how to make the champs I'm afraid, come in Doris, Jethro or one of the others who brew, but the flowers are white and in clusters
http://www.overthegardengate.net/garden/archives/template.asp?linkid=288&linkcat=Shrubs
click on this link - hope it works, and you will see some with the rose. ;D
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Hi Debs - found this today, by coincidence. Haven't a clue if it works or not!
Elderflower Champagne
Mix 1.5 lbs sugar, 2 tbsp wine vinegar, the juice and grated rind of 1 lemon. Add 8 pints cold water, and 3 large heads of elder flowers.
Stir and let stand for 2 days, then strain and store in screw-top bottles - leave at least 2 inches air space at the top of each bottle.
Drink after 2 weeks - don't store any longer, unless you can seal the bottles with wired-down corks.
All best - Gavin ------------- and if you do try it, let me know if it works! :)
PS and another from the same book
Hawthorn Brandy
Fill a jar with open hawthorn flowers (remove all the stalks first). Cover them with brandy and let the liquid stand for a month in a warm place. Strain through a fine sieve and bottle firmly.
What a waste of good hawthorn flowers! ???
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Derbex, EJ and Gavin,
Thankyou so much - I should change my name to Rita as I feel so educated!!
;D Debs ;D
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Gavin,
Most humble apologies as |I skim read the reply and when I returned to check it, saw the hawthorn footnote.
Quick clarifying question: Hawthorns produce sloe berries don't they :-\
Debs
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No Debs, Blackthorns produce sloes. Hawthorns produce haws. :-\
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/b1/blacktho.asp
http://www.greenheyes.com/pages/natrepsep02.htm
Cor, struggled to find a piccy of a hawthorn!
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Out in the garden with the scissors this morning -elderflower cordial is GO ;D I just need to blag enough fizzy drink bottles to make some champagne now.
Actually those big grolsch bottles look ideal -if only I was a lager drinker.
Jeremy.
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Dear all...
Th elderflower champagne recipe sounds fab...
Is it alcoholic ;) :P
Debs
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If you want it to be ;D
It will be slightly alcoholic, I think, as it is fermentation that makes the bubbles. The recipe I posted earlier claims to be alcohol free, but my guess is it's more 'alcohol weak' -like shandy -or less.
BTW I would use plastic cider, lemonade or fizzy water bottles to keep it in, it will be ready when they go hard and if you want to keep it longer then you can let a bit of the gas out.
The Grolsch bottles I mentioned are the old 'china -stopper' types with a rubber washer, the theory is that when the preasure gets too much they let some of the gas out and so won't burst or shower you with champers on opening, I'd be interested to know if this were true :o
Jeremy
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Re Citric acid. I am told that the famous high street chemist still stocks this, but you now have to ask for it at the Drugs counter. Not guaranteeing this information since we still have some left.
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Elderflower update...
Have found an ideal little woodland area with 2 or 3 elder trees..
have picked a few clusters and have a 5 litre batch of "champers" waiting the required 24 hrs before the bottling up commences :P!!
watch this space...
Debs ;)
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Word of warning re : alcohol making and fizzy drink bottles. Know is a bit teaching grannie to suck eggs and all that but when you open new bottle of fizzy drink, has bit of top which doesn't break so that top doesn't fly off into your eye! Remember, if using them to store your own, that safety catch is not there. Be very careful when opening, it's surprising how much care you need to use when opening them. That said, are very useful containers. Happy brewing and keep safe :D
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As there are still lots of jam and preserve peeps around, it is worth looking in your local supermarket for citric acid. Certainly, a while back, I found some in Tesco's.
Might be worth using the allotmenteer's technique, if you don't ask, you don't get! :D
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Not being any good with puters, just try google for 'citric acid suppliers uk' and you will get quite a lot of info which may help. Certainly threw up a fair amount of places to try :D
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E-J (or anyone else) how's the cordial? I'm planning to bottle mine tonight, at first taste it's pretty lemony with the elderflower taste hitting you second -more elderflowers next year.
BTW my wife didn't like the idea of reusing plastic drinks bottles for a long period of time -so we now have some posh, china stopper types, from habitat :o
Jeremy
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Hi Emma Jane :D
Instead of citric acid you should use tartaric acid as it gives a smoother flavour (it is not as harsh in flavour as citric)
It is available from home brew shops , which are thin on the ground these days, look up home brew shops in your yellow pages.
adrian.
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Have bottled up the 'champers' and it's sitting horizontally on wine rack in kitchen - have used old vodka/wine screw top glass bottles.
Please advise if this is not appropriate as would hate to knock grandma's eyes out when she walks into kitchen to make a cuppa !!
Debs ;D ;D ;D
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I have a plassy bottle nearly filled and clearly labelled in the freezer to have with champers on Christmas morning with my mum, the second bottle I gave to my mum as she buys it from craft fairs and the such and adores it with fizzy water and the third bottle is mine and is in my fridge slowely being guzzled. I was suprised at how perfumed and fragranced it is - I can't taste the lemons at all. Couldn't lay my hands on any citric or tartaric acid at that time, so used an extra lemon, and to be honest, I think it will be drunk long before preserving it becomes an issue. What else does the acid do?? It is delish, and may well make one more batch, there suddenly seems to be elderflowers everywhere, but I want lots of berries later in the year so don't want to be a glutton! :P
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Is "cream of tartar" the same as tartaric acid??
Ten x
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Debs,
your champers is going to be fizzy (I hope :) ), so you really ought to use bottles that are made to withstand pressure -i.e. beer, cider, pop, champers &c., if not you may get a messy explosion :o .
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DANGER!!!!! :o :o
Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, as I have only skim read this thread, I would strongly recommend for those of you making elderflower champagne that you us the strong heavy champagne bottles with wired corks (wires and corks can be obtained from home brew outlets) and not the lighter weight screw topped glass bottles that some fizzy drinks come in. Alternatively use the 2ltr plastic lemonade or coke bottles as these are designed to take anything up to 200psi, I have had personal experience of bottles with screw tops that I presumed would be safe as they had originally held fizzy drinks exploding!
Also if you are relying on the natural yeast for the fermentation process there can be quite a bit of sediment build up in the bottle so I tend to store my bottles stood upright and to sieve the champagne before serving.
:D :D :D
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All above points duly noted :)
Will be transferring mine into something else as would not like kitchen covered in glass and everyone else in shrapnel ;D
Debs
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Have noticed that there are several elder trees around the lottie site YIPPEE!!!
Am off to do watering now ... and to pick elderflower heads for cordial as we have just drained the last from our shop-bought and I may add, quite expensive, elderflower cordial.
Debs
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How is everyone doing with their cordial and champers?
I have cordial in fridge and freezer ( very sweet taste I thought).
Tasted some champers which is beautiful - and surprisingly fizzy, so I'm pleased I transferred it into plastic bottles and housed it in garage!
Should it have been slightly alcoholic ? Doesn't taste like it - but very pleasant all the same ;D
Could it have been made alcoholic? If so, how?
Debs
P.S. Will now be waiting for berries - what equipment is needed
to make wine? Anyone recommend a good recipe?
Debs ;)
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High Debs
Glad to hear you are enjoying the champers, if you want more alcohol you would probably have to turn it into a wine by fermenting it out and so loose a lot of the fizz. :o
Elderberries 3 lb
Sugar 31/2 lb
Citric acid 1 teasp
Water 1 gallon
Yeast and nutrient
Strip the berries from the stalks with a fork, crush them and pour on the boiling water cool to about 210C then add the yeast and nutrient and acid, leave for about three days, stir each day.
Strain through a fine sieve onto the sugar, the first fermentation can be quite vigorous so leave room at the top of the jars and top up after it has died down abit.
Let it ferment out and then bottle and keep for at least six months, this one does get better with age.
This was one of the first wines that I had a go at and did not realise until a few years later how well it had turned out, it seemed quite harsh, but was very nice at Christmas as a mulled wine. ;) ;)
One that I hope to try is elderberry and runner bean, the runner bean helps reduce the harshness apparently.
One point I forgot is that this wine is best made and stored in coloured glass demi johns and bottles or kept out of the light as it can loose its colour.
Enjoy ;D ;D
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Hi debs,
the cordial is half gone already :P , unfortunately by the time we'd got some plastic bottles the elderflowers were over boo >:( , but they're turning to berries -hooray ;D
Trevordy thanks for the recipe -I really must bottle last years. Interesting about the runner beans -let us know how it turns out.
Jeremy
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How's the cordial? Two bottles in the freezer, one in the fridge, and another slipping slowly (?) down, with gin, ice and water.
It's taken me some considerable time to eliminate the typos! :) :) :)
Don't think the kids are going to see very much of this harvest --- :)
All best - Gavin
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:'( Tis all drunked! However, on Gavins advice, a bottle is tucked up in the freezer for Christmas.
Note to self, make more next year...or give less away! ;D
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I love sloe gin, but have you ever tried Damson gin? Even better, I think. I drink it neat in winter, in little port glasses inherited from granny, looks really pretty, tastes amazing, and warms the innards on a cold day! One year I saved the damsons that had been infusing, and used them with the goose liver and other stuffing ingredients - to make stuffing to go with Goose - fantastic. You can't use sloes for anything afterwards which seems a waste. Tip from friend ( a farmer) freeze damsons first before infusing, they split in the freezer,(expansion of water) and then it saves you all the bother with the bodkin stabbing them, and the resultant sore and stained fingers for the rest of the week. Sadly our old elder tree is looking a bit the worse for wear - so no elderflower cordial or champagne for us at the moment!
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Ooops - citric acid. Sorry - I'd forgotten that bit. :(
I'd scribbled the recipe down from somewhere, no idea where now - and I too have not found citric acid. I just add the juice of a second lemon - seems to work. Correction - it works well!
All best - Gavin
I found some for 45p (100g) in a chinese supermarket, brand Rajah so I guess Indian supermarkets would likely have it too.
moonbells
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Can I ask a really basic question please?
In the recipe with 20 flower heads, citric acid, lemons and 3.5lb sugar, it says skim then leave 5 days stirring twice daily.
Er, is that skim out all the elderflowers etc just leaving the liquid?
moonbells (just starting first ever batch and contemplating doing champers too)
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No moonbells, just skim surface if any scum has formed. Stir morning and evening for 5 days then bottle.
Mine is already made and being drunk at the mo :D
Debs
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No moonbells, just skim surface if any scum has formed. Stir morning and evening for 5 days then bottle.
Mine is already made and being drunk at the mo :D
Debs
Oh good! Didn't think so, but it didn't elaborate and I thought I'd better check!
thanks Debs!
moonbells
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Citric acid can be bought from Wilkinsons, look in the home brew areas
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Bottled our first batch of cordial today then staraight away had to sample it......one has to make sure it's not poisonous.
Mixed with gin and tonic water with loads of ice.....yep it's good.
Got 20 litres of champers fizzing away nicely in the cellar too.
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I am making elderflower champagne - should there be bubbles before bottling?
Thanks
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No!
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Thanks for that.
All bottled now - should it be kept in a dark place? Have it on the kitchen worktop at the moment so I remember to check whether they need 'releiving'!!!
How long do I wait for it to be alcoholic? tried some of it as there was a bit more than would fit in the last bottle but not enough to warrant another one! Quite sweet but definately tastes of elderflowers!!
Thanks again, Shirley the Impatient!