Wild cooking: Elderflower cordial

Wild cooking: Elderflower cordial

Who could refuse this fragrant and refreshing drink on a warm summers day? Elderflower cordial is the perfect addition to summery drinks, the flavours pairing perfectly with fruit and citrus flavours.

And the fact that you made it yourself, outside, from freshly picked elderflowers? Surely this will be the star of any picnic or BBQ and the perfect way to make your June a little bit wild…

Ingredients Equipment
15 heads of elderflowers    Knife and chopping board
500g caster sugar   Large saucepan
4 tablespoons of runny honey Measuring jug
2 unwaxed lemons        Scissors (for harvesting)
  Large bowl
  Muslin cloth
  Sterilised bottles or jars
  Grater

Elderflower is widely abundant throughout the UK, in woods and along hedgerows. Look out for fragranced masses of dainty, cream flowers hanging in flat-topped clusters growing as a shrub or small tree.

To harvest, choose a dry, sunny day cutting the stalks carefully with scissors and placing them upright in a bag or basket, trying not to disturb the pollen which is the source of much of elderflowers unique flavour and fragrance.

Leave some flowers to form fruit for wildlife to eat and pick the flowers with the best scent, avoiding any flowers that are starting to turn brown, being careful to pick of any insects.

Sit yourself down in front of your campfire and place the sugar, honey and one litre of water into your saucepan. Warm this mixture over the fire until all the sugar has dissolved then remove from heat. The next step is to take in a deep breath and enjoy the sunshine – wild cooking is all about taking your time after all.

Grate in the zest of two lemons and add the elderflowers upside down to your wild concoction, making sure the flowers are completely submerged. Squeeze in the juice from one of your lemons and slice up the other lemon to add to your pan. Now cover and wait for 24 hours - I told you wild cooking was slow, but why be in such a rush anyway? take the time to practise some mindfulness, read a good book or go for a walk safe in the knowledge that nature is working its magic.

By this point I know you must be falling over yourself to have a try of the elderflower cordial, the final step is to drain the liquid though a muslin cloth into sterilised jars or bottles and you’re ready to enjoy.

Share with friends and family – one of our favourite ways to enjoy this drink is with soda water, garnished with mint and lemon… most certainly worth the wait.

Wild cooking is a great way to relax, unwind and learn about your natural surroundings. Many of our Myplace ecotherapy sessions include wild cooking as a way to slow down and try something a bit different.

Other activities, like growing projects, teach participants how to grow their own food while bushcraft and practical conservation tasks give our participants the skills to help transform local green spaces.

The Myplace partnership project between Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Lancashire Care NHS Trust brings together people and wildlife in a remarkable way, transforming natural spaces and people’s lives.