Chucky Mama Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I have some champers from last year and there is a fair bit on unpleasant looking sediment at the bottom. Do you think that it will be OK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I'm no expert, CM, but I found the longer you leave the fizz, the clearer it gets, and the more sediment at the bottom. I think it's just the pollen which would normally be still suspended in the drink when it is fresher, so to speak. The bottle I gave away a couple of weeks ago had virtually no sediment but the last one I have does have a fair bit. The one I opened in February also had a lot, but I filled four large glasses carefully for guests and threw the dregs out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 OK thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I've just decanted my very last bottle as the sediment was stuck to the sides and looked unpleasant. It was very fizzy and smells divine, and will be consumed in the next couple of days, I'm just hoping the fizz builds up again though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Our trees are still a while off flowering. Have everyone else's flowered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 They are in flower here, CM. I'm off collecting flowerheads this weekend Think I need to pop to the market and get more lemons! I wonder if the season might be fairly drawn out though, my black elder has two flower heads completely open and the rest are still dormant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 I went out picking elderflowers this morning. I found loads, and picked about 3 to 6 flowerheads off each bush I came across. I now have 18 litres of champagne brewing, and three lots of the cordial recipe. I could've picked a lot more. Some elder had already gone over, and the flowers were brown. Most flowers are still to open though. I'll pick another bagful in a fortnight and then leave everything else to produce berries for autumn. I also found lots of raspberries growing wild, huge areas of brambles, and I'm sure I smelt some wild garlic too. Found absolutely hundreds of blackthorn as well Never thought there would be such rich pickings in a city! Oh, watched a kingfisher swooping up and down a river too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I went out elderflower picking yesterday, there were quite a few flowerheads open, but even more still to come. I started my first batch of cordial yesterday and have just bottled it up this morning. It's so lovely - smells of summer I'm going to invest in a set of swing top bottles this year and bottle the rest up a la River Cottage method so that it will keep for a year... or is that just wishful thinking?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 First batch of fizz is bottled, still stirring the cordial! I've got enough bottles to make 54 litres of fizz and 7 litres of cordial, is that enough do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 54 bottles of fizz That should keep you busy, unscrewing those caps every day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Never thought of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I've now bottled up the fizz (19 litres) and cordial (4.3 litres) and have some more fizz on the go, picked from the black elder in the garden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stehaggan Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I'm taking it the champagne isn't actually alcoholic? How long will it last for? I made 2 bottles last year it had sedement at the bottom though is that right? X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I understand that it is alcoholic, sort of weak lager strength. Sediment is pollen and anything else not strained out, I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Our trees have just started to flower here now so nearly time to get cracking. I am really in to demerara sugar at the moment. Does anyone see a reason not to use that? Also, I freeze the cordial as last time I left it in bottles at room temperature it turned into fizz and exploded. Is that what everyone else does? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I can't think of a reason why not to use demerara, CM. Can you report back on your findings please I've frozen the elderberry cordial before, with no ill effect, but that's not fizzy. I know the cordial shouldn't be fizzy, but mine is as well! Do you think it would need close inspection as it thaws? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I can't think of a reason why not to use demerara, CM. Can you report back on your findings please Will do - I suspect it will not be a particularly attractive colour but I don't mind Plan to start making some this weekend. Our trees are nowhere as good as last year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I can't think of a reason why not to use demerara, CM. Can you report back on your findings please Will do - I suspect it will not be a particularly attractive colour but I don't mind Plan to start making some this weekend. Our trees are nowhere as good as last year I'm not sure elderflower cordial is a particularly attractive colour anyway... at least it always reminds me of something else! I invested in a dozen swing top bottles yesterday so will be going out to pick more elderflowers today. I made 2 litres of cordial a couple of weeks ago and it's disappearing fast, so I need to make a goodly amount to last me for a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I was covering mine and found a fly in it - washed elderflowers well too hope it doesnt affect flavour. Does anyone use the berries in anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Got my first ever batch of elderflower fizz on the go. Doubled up on some of the flower heads as there weren't many large flower heads. Lots of cut stems so obviously a few people do this round these 'ere parts I didn't wash the flower heads though - I thought it would get rid of some of the pollen? It's also being strained so any bugs will hopefully get caught up in the straining bag. Is a jelly bag finer than muslin? Almost had it with a hint of cow parsley! Luckily I had a closer look at the flower head YD picked *phew* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I didn't wash the flower heads though - I thought it would get rid of some of the pollen? It's also being strained so any bugs will hopefully get caught up in the straining bag. Is a jelly bag finer than muslin? Yes you need to keep all the pollen as that is where the wild yeast will be. I don't strain mine too finely, muslin is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I was covering mine and found a fly in it - washed elderflowers well too hope it doesnt affect flavour. Does anyone use the berries in anything? Don't wash the elderflowers, you need the pollen! I leave everything in mine, thunderbugs and all, they get strained out, well, most of them do Berry recipes will no doubt appear in Autumn, elderberry cordial is lovely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Bother - i just know YS a fly phobic will get the glass with a fly floating in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I can't think of a reason why not to use demerara, CM. Can you report back on your findings please Will do - I suspect it will not be a particularly attractive colour but I don't mind Plan to start making some this weekend. Our trees are nowhere as good as last year I'm not sure elderflower cordial is a particularly attractive colour anyway... at least it always reminds me of something else! I invested in a dozen swing top bottles yesterday so will be going out to pick more elderflowers today. I made 2 litres of cordial a couple of weeks ago and it's disappearing fast, so I need to make a goodly amount to last me for a few months. Well,the batch made with demerara is bottled. The sugar too a while to dissolve in the boiling water and I did worry as it smelled strongly of the sugar during this bit. However, the smell went when it all cooled and it is lovely. It has the colour of golden syrup so doesn't look too much like a urine sample and it is possibly a little more syrrupy but it tastes fab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Does the taste of the elderflowers come through the sugar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
