Yesterday was my Elderflower Champagne making day. The sun was shining, it was warm, and the flowers were in perfect condition.
I picked 6 sun-kissed heads of Elderflower, added 600 gms of sugar, 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, the rind of a lemon, the juice of a lemon, and 6 litres of water. It's as simple as that.
This afternoon I shall bottle it, and put it away until July/August.
Best to place the bottles away from danger (in a shed maybe), as they can become lively and explode. You need bottles that have wired-on tops, as below.
If you intend making some; good luck!
31 comments:
No worries here about this post. I love an occasional bottle of cheap bubbly! Life is for living it's not a rehearsal.
We have to wait a while longer for the elderflowers to come out over here in England.
When I look at Elderflower it always reminds me of your champagne-making.
I love your blog and your meanderings, Cro.
Greetings Maria x
Do you make this? It's a wonderful Summer drink, and is child's play to make.
They are suddenly everywhere here, the hedgerows are covered.
You should have a go at making some Maria; you'd love it. The perfect non-alcoholic Summer drink.
No I don't make it. I live in London and I don't know where to get elderflowers. Having said that I might source some and give it a go
I have your recipe now, thanks. X
I've looked for elderflower here last year when you wrote about it but could not find it here.
It is everywhere.
Hyde Park? Green Park? I'm sure you'd find some.
It's probably more of a European shrub.
My dad used to make wine. Every now and then a bottle would pop its cork making us all jump sky high.
I've never had luck growing elder. I've tried a few times.
We have so much around us in the hedgerows that I don't bother growing my own.
Cheers
Delicately scented and flavours of the summer !
I'm just about to do the bottling.
My Retired Man once made wine at home. After a few months, most of the bottles exploded. What a mess! Now he makes wine with a group of men at a winery. It is safer and no clean-up for me.
I've just this second finished bottling mine. The ones in the bottles as illustrated (above) tend not to explode, but I also use old 'Fischer' beer bottles, with the same tops, and they are made from much thinner glass, and can go bang. My fingers are crossed.
Every year I say I'm going to make Elderflower champagne and every year passes me by. I have to go and check out the two sources where I know they grow. Thanks for the reminder.
Every time I hear about Elderflowers I think about you making a batch of Champagne. I told my Julia about it and she was curios about the whole process, so I might have her read this post.
Astonishing that such simple ingredients can quite quickly become such an exquisite drink.
Never made - but I am sure I would enjoy!
Anna :o]
I make Elderflower Cordial,the Champagne version sounds simpler although I haven't any suitable bottles,Elerflowers just peeping out here,may give it a try:)
I'm the same with other things, but I always make my EC.
Younger people love making this because it's like magic. You start with so few simple things, and it ends up as something wonderful. I think that's probably why I make it.
That's it Weave; simple chemistry producing something marvelous.
Once tasted never forgotten.
I keep saying I should make some Cordial, but I never do.The EC is so easy, I could do it with my eyes closed.
You should try making some Cordial,a little more long winded but it keeps a while and is also suitable for freezing,especially delicious if you are a Gin fan:)
I used to make it too. One bottle exploded embedding glass in the plaster of our kitchen pantry. Removing the other bottles was a scary process.
Post a Comment