Guest Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 sounds like a good compromise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 (edited) right, i've got my citric acid, had to go to a wine shop to get some and the bloke was really nice. He tried to sell us one of these http://www.malthouse.com.au/item.php?item_id=356 he uses it to make his own spirits and he sells flavourings to add to the spirits to make them taste like whisky, amaretto, bourbon etc etc. He gave me a miniature bottle of it to take home. I also bought some kilner bottles for my cordial. We got chatting about poetry and I suggested he have a poetry evening in his shop after closing time, with tipples. As he's not allowed to actually sell the stuff he brews himself, he said he might sell cakes and give a glass of booze away with the cake He's got my phone number and may ring me to come and do a reading some time. See, this is what happens when people ply me with drink, I agree to anything! Edited June 14, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 ...... but one word of caution about elderflowers......... Sniff them! - some smell likes cat's wee, and if you use those then the cordial/champagne will have a vile smell and taste Only use the ones which smell fragrant. Thanks for that Lesley, I've only ever smelt the cat wee ones, I thought they all smelt like that I saw quite literally hundreds of elder in full bloom from the train today, couldn't believe it, the embankments and hedgerows were full of them (there were even some in a s"Ooops, word censored!" yard with some lupins and foxgloves ) This is probably a bit obvious, but if anyone only has access to one or two elder trees, remember there will be no berries later in the year if you snip all the flowers off now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 I saw a recipe for elderflower cordial in country living and I am watching the elder tree outside my window on a daily babsis waiting for the flowers to open. They only came out this week!! There aren't enough yet. Thabnks for the tip about smelling them . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 ....don't wait too long - the younger the better, and they seem to go over so quickly I nearly missed them last year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 I've been testing the bottles by squeezing - if they are very hard, then they willl need a release. So far no signs of fizziness at all, but then the mixture is tasty enough to drink straight away! OH has caught the habit, and virtually took over when we bottled up! Now he wants more and is rummaging around for empties. I was told that when you pick elderflowers you must do it very early in the morning so that the flowerheads would be less likely to have been visited by bees - once pollinated they go over very quickly. Also the best flowerheads are near the top of the bushes now. Go for ones that are very white and still have unopened buds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted June 14, 2008 Author Share Posted June 14, 2008 Mine's very fizzy and I'm having to release the lids a couple of times a day now. Should be drinkable in about a week. Can't wait. It's the essence of summer to me. The elderflower wine is working away really hard in the demijohn too. Hope that's as good!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Whooo hoo the elderflowers are finally opening. I collected enough for my first batch of cordial. Now I'm stopping to think . . . what do I store the cordial in when it's ready? Glass bottles, plastic?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted June 14, 2008 Author Share Posted June 14, 2008 Glass bottles are fine for cordial but keep it in the fridge and check it regularly as I've had some start to ferment because I forgot all about it at the back of the fridge. It's not fizzy like the champagne unless it does start to ferment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 I've made both things now and am just about to bottle up the champagne. Didn't read the stuff about sniffing the flowers before I'd made it though Hope it's ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 we've been out and collected a ton of elderflowers, down by the river. My nose is covered in yellow pollen from bloomin' sniffin' the darn things! Most of them smelled fine, there were a few that I thought smelled slightly of cat wee so got OH to smell them and he said they were fine, so we'll have to see how it all turns out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 I had a nose full of them too. Haven't stopped sniffling since!! At least I know they smelled good and not like cat's had been on them!! I can't say the infusion process smells or looks nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 oh no, I'm suffering now I got covered in pollen and am itching like mad! Time for another bath! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 please can someone help me quckly? Do I snip off the flowers or just snip the main stem off and use the whole flower head???? I want to make it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 please can someone help me quckly? Do I snip off the flowers or just snip the main stem off and use the whole flower head???? I want to make it now. It says 'flowers snipped from stems' in Kate's recipe. I would imagine that's individually snipped off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 I do something in between - cut smaller bunches of flowers so that there's not too much stalk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 i know but there's one main stem then little florets off the main stem on stems of their own never mind, I've done it now, I just snipped off each little floret, hope that's right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 I do something in between - cut smaller bunches of flowers so that there's not too much stalk. aha! cheers Lesley, it's nicely steeping away now, got loads of flowers left so am going to try the champagne too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 I'm just testing my cordial now - a nice long glass of it with fizzy water and ice I haven't strained it yet so it has little flowers floating on top, it looks very pretty! (it's probably full of thunderbugs as well if last year's was anything to go by - but I can't see any ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 i know but there's one main stem then little florets off the main stem on stems of their own Sounds like you have done as Lesley suggested so it should be OK. Maybe Kate has some obscure recipe for elderflower stems somewhere, then there won't be any waste Elder flower heads always look like cow parsley or hogweed to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Elder flower heads always look like cow parsley or hogweed to me ....as long as you don't get them mixed up with Hemlock flowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 thought I'd post some pics of our elder collecting expedition achoo! among the hedgerows... the bounty.... nicely steeping... cheers for posting this kate, we've had a great day doing this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Elder flower heads always look like cow parsley or hogweed to me ....as long as you don't get them mixed up with Hemlock flowers OMG, I hope you're joking! That's what scares me about foraging, I've never done it before and worried about poisoning someone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Elder flower heads always look like cow parsley or hogweed to me ....as long as you don't get them mixed up with Hemlock flowers I would hope that even in my semi anosmic state I would be able to smell the difference Poet, don't worry about foraging, take a photo along if you are worried at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Elder flower heads always look like cow parsley or hogweed to me ....as long as you don't get them mixed up with Hemlock flowers I would hope that even in my semi anosmic state I would be able to smell the difference Poet, don't worry about foraging, take a photo along if you are worried at all I had my little copy of richard mabey's 'food for free' and the photo looked the same! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
