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elderflower cordial
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Lorrainelovesplants



Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 15 10:30 am    Post subject: elderflower cordial Reply with quote
    

I know its a bit early, but..
Ive been looking at recipes and it seems pretty simple to make.

BUT, one recipe says add citric acid. Why would you do this? Is it to preserve?
The reason I ask is that I think Ill pasteurise the bottles of elderflower cordial I make as i want them to last quite a while.

 
sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 15 10:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yep. It's a preservative. I'd guess you could leave it out if you're pasteurizing, you'll need to use it up once opened though so bottle it in smallish volumes.

 
Lorrainelovesplants



Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 15 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

anyone made it? Sean?

Recommend a recipe?

 
sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 15 11:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I think we usually use H F-W's recipe here. But with a bit less sugar. If I'm wrong then Jamanda will be along to correct me. We freeze ours to preserve it.

 
Lorrainelovesplants



Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 15 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

thanks!

 
Nicky cigreen



Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 15 10:40 pm    Post subject: elderflower cordial Reply with quote
    

I make it - we freeze it and only have a bottle at a time in the fridge, so dunno about preserving qualities, but it does need some sharpness for flavouring. Once left the citric acid out and it wasn't as nice.

my recipe:
elderflower cordial



20 heads of elderflower (picked on a sunny day)

2 lemons

1.8 kg white sugar

1.2 L water

50g citric acid

Peel the lemons, aiming to get only the yellow zest and not the white pith, and place in a heatproof bowl along with the elderflowers. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and add to the bowl. Heat the sugar and water together, dissolving, and bring to the boil. Pour over the elderflowers and add the citric acid.. Leave overnight. Next day strain through a sieve and bottle.

 
jamanda
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Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 15 10:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That's about what I do, less sugar though. Whether or not I use citric or ascorbic acid depends on whether I have any in. If not I'd use extra lemon juice.

I freeze it in plastic milk cartons.

 
Lorrainelovesplants



Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne
PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 15 6:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks these comments are useful to know.

 
sgt.colon



Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.
PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 15 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

sean wrote:
I think we usually use H F-W's recipe here.


I too have used this one for the last few years. The stuff is very good.

 
dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 15 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Lorrainelovesplants wrote:
anyone made it? Sean?

Recommend a recipe?


the cordial went mouldy even though it had been made with boiling water

the infusion in vodka went black(oxidised phenolics at a guess)

i suspect it might not be as easy as follow a recipe

ps the commercial stuff seems to keep well,we have a half used bottle of alcohol infusion that is fine and a couple of years old i blame the preservatives for making it nice .

 
jamanda
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Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon
PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 15 12:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yes, it does go mouldy without the vit C. That's why I do it in small batches and freeze.

 
Lorrainelovesplants



Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne
PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 15 12:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

But you could pasteurise it?
Unless adding the citric acid adds to the taste?

 
Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 15 12:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Citric acid will certainly add to the flavour. It's deliciously sour.

It's what makes lemons winky.

 
James



Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 2866
Location: York
PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 15 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

without citric acid it'd taste very unbalanced with all that sugar. The sugar/ acid balance (when diluted) replicates that found in fruit juice.
I add a dribble of metabisulphide solution to my syrup. In sterile bottles, this keeps for a year.

 
Falstaff



Joined: 27 May 2009
Posts: 1014

PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 15 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Why not just bring it to the boil immediately before bottling ? as per jam or the like ?

 
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