Elderflower Syrup

This is my recipe for elderflower syrup. I always make this with my mom when I am back home and have ever since I was a little girl.

Here is what you need:

- elderflower (about half of the pot)

- 3 lemons

- 1kg / 2,2lbs of sugar

- one big pot

- about 2l / 0,5 gallons of water

- cloth strainer

- a can to pour from

- a funnel

- glass bottles with lids that close

To make elderflower syrup you need fresh elderflower blossoms. If you have an elderflower tree in your garden it´s perfect, but if not make sure that you are allowed to pick the elderflower when you get them from somewhere else. It´s important that the flowers are in full blossom and still have their pollen. Here are some pictures from an elderflower tree. Be careful, there might be other trees that lookalike but are not edible.

Collect elderflower blossoms until your pot is full. It´s fine when the blossoms that land in your pot have some green twigs, you don´t have to tear of the blossoms. Then press down everything, your pot should be about half full.

Don´t wash your elderflower before putting everything else into the pot.

First add 1kg/ 2,2lbs of sugar.

Take three lemons, slice them and put them into the elderflower-sugar pot.

*It is important to use unwaxed lemons to avoid the bitter taste that comes with it (and if you have the possibility to use organic lemons do that)*

If you want your syrup to be more tangy and sour use 4 lemons.

Fill up the pot that everything is slightly covered in water. For me that were about 2l (0,5 gallons) of water. This depends on the size of the pot and the amount of elderflower used.

Use a plate to press everything down to keep it under water. Put the lid on and let everything steep for one night.

The next day prepare the storage containers for the syrup. Use glas bottles, because the content will be hot when you pour it in and it will be safe for storage.

Let the bottles sit in boiling water for about 10 minutes to sterilize them.

In the meantime put the straining cloth over a big bowl to catch any blossoms and twigs.

Boil the elderflower mix for a few minutes to make it safe to drink. Stir it occasionally and make sure that it doesn´t burn.

Put the glas bottles next to the bowl, a funnel and a can.

Strain the boiling mixture through the cloth. Fill the content of the bowl into a can from which you can pour it. Pour it into the prepared glas bottles and put the lid on as fast as you can. Use a kitchen towel to get better grip on the lids.

Put everything that is left in the pot into the straining cloth and squeez it out into the bowl and fill it into the bottles.

Fill up as many bottles as you need. If there is a little rest and a bottle isn´t full use this one first thoughout the next few days.

Mix about one part of syrup with 3 parts of sparkling water. Add syrup or water to your preferance, add some ice cubes and your good to go. Enjoy your drink!