Elderflower 7 Ways

Elderflower “Sham”pagne Recipe For every litre of filtered water, use 10 large elderflower heads (stalks picked as best as possible). Add 250g of sugar and 2 oranges and 2 lemons. Place the mixture into a clean container in a dark place and let it infuse for 10 days. During this time, the yeast will consume the sugar and help infuse the flavours. Depending on the container, you may need to burp it as the pressure builds up. I don’t use glass because of this, but you can use a kilner with a tap, which is nice because it’s visible. Burping is essential! After 10 days, open the container and you’ll notice the build-up of flavour. If it tastes sour, it means it’s fermented nicely and may reach 2% ABV. Strain the mixture and pour it into a capped bottle. Depending on your desired sweetness, add a little more sugar. This will continue fermenting and under pressure in the bottle, become sparkling. If it tastes too sweet, it will level out over time and become more alcoholic. The leftover oranges and lemons can also be made into marmalade or sauce, which I’ll share in due course. Enjoy!