Guest Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 we got loads from Wilkinsons or you could try a home brew shop. Most chemists don't stock it any more but you may be lucky with a chemist. I imagine it's available on the net too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Don't know of any home brew places around here, so I will try online. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 got my first batch of cordial going from this years flowers, picked fresh today! Put some of the umbels in the fridge to make champagne tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Cinnamon, if you need citric acid, I picked up two sachets today 50g each. My local chemist stocks it. I started a batch of cordial yesterday and plan to make lots more this year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 we tried 4 different chemists last year and only 1 had 1 50g tub left. We were told that most chemists don't stock it any more because it's used by people with a certain addiction to mix with another substance. Not sure why it's so readily available in home brew shops in that case!? You can get it on-line from wilkos too by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Probably a stoopid question, but where do you get citric acid from? I get mine from the Tesco near work, in their pharmacy, they always appear to have plenty in stock and keep it under the counter so you have to ask for it. It is 48p for a 50g box. Alternatively, you could ask your local chemist to order some in for you, explaining of course, that it is for culinary use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygerna Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 My chemist has it, I bought some on Wednesday. Havn't had chance to do the cordial yet though. Might try tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I just got mine from my local Tescos as i had asked in the local chemist and they didn't have any. The women did look at me very strangely when i asked for it and when i said i was going to made eldeflower cordial. Emma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 Probably a stoopid question, but where do you get citric acid from? I get mine from the Tesco near work, in their pharmacy, they always appear to have plenty in stock and keep it under the counter so you have to ask for it. It is 48p for a 50g box. Alternatively, you could ask your local chemist to order some in for you, explaining of course, that it is for culinary use 48p?....mine was 99p!!! Coo it's almost worth asking you to buy some & post it to me First batch of cordial is on the go, I've put it into a kilner jar on the basis I can get more on the top if I want to whereas bowls take up more top space - something I don't have a lot of!! Will it be ok with the lid sealed or should I just cover it with a cloth? First my car (I picked the flowers at Scouts this evening) and now my kitchen smell absolutely divine Sha x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 48p?....mine was 99p!!! Coo it's almost worth asking you to buy some & post it to me I think the postage would be about 61p at the cheapest, unfortunately. They've put it up too, it was 46p last year I'd buy loads, but it has other uses in the area I buy it but at least that means it's always in stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 HFW's version is doing very well - probably too well as it is sooo fizzy. Ready to slurp on Sunday. Kate's version is still fermenting for a while longer. This morning we have made some cordial and now it is resting for a few days. We are going to make more champers later on - just popping out for a while. Tomorrow we will go somewhere else and freeze the flowers. Just running out of pans!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 I'm running out of bottles I'm also seeing Elder in full bloom everywhere, especially where I can't get to it, sooo frustrating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 Why does elder grow so well on the edge of roads where its either swamped in exhaust fumes or you get knocked over picking it..... ? My first batch of EF champers is on the go. How long will it last in the plastic bottles, provided we have the willpower to stay away from it for the 3 weeks in the first place ? Sha x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Why does elder grow so well on the edge of roads where its either swamped in exhaust fumes or you get knocked over picking it..... ? Go for a walk in your local park, you may find Elder in there, now it is easily seen with the flowers on I've been on the train a lot this past week and the amount of Elder near the railway lines is amazing, some folk just don't realise what bounty they have at the bottom of their gardens My first batch of EF champers is on the go. How long will it last in the plastic bottles, provided we have the willpower to stay away from it for the 3 weeks in the first place ? I believe Kate has said she opened a bottle at Christmas , but had to release the lid every now and then to let the fizz out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 Why does elder grow so well on the edge of roads where its either swamped in exhaust fumes or you get knocked over picking it..... ? Go for a walk in your local park, you may find Elder in there, now it is easily seen with the flowers on I've been on the train a lot this past week and the amount of Elder near the railway lines is amazing, some folk just don't realise what bounty they have at the bottom of their gardens ....being 20 ft tall or having a cherry picker to hand would be a huge advantage too ! Sha x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 My cousin brought me a huge umbrella with a hooked handle - better than carting a step ladder around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 Maybe I should give the velux opening stick yet another string to its bow....so far its been an egg retriever (when a battie laid in the eglu run & it couldn't be reached from the eglu nor the door ).......... a toy retriever when a ball was thrown into the gutter....several other such boring uses...and now an elderflower hooker Sha x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 My codial is done and it is FAB. We have got 4 2ltr bottles full and a half one. Got the champagne on the go now. I couldnt get any citric acid powder anywhere so ordered it on line from Brew-it-yourself.co.uk. A bit dearer to buy but was desperate. Off to look for some nice glass bottles now for Xmas pressys. Has anyone bought any on line or in shops that they can reccomend? Would like glass really as I only need a few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 I got glass bottles from Oil & Vinegar last year, I think they had "grolsch" tops as well as cork stoppered ones, not sure about screw ones though. Hope that helps. I've been saving (cider, raspberry, white wine etc )vinegar bottles this year, so may have a few to recycle before I end up buying again! Am about to embark on a small sack of onions to make onion marmalade again as we've run out, that'll release a couple more bottles I reckon!!!! Sha x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I've just been to Tescos to get some citric acid and they had sold out! The lady behind the counter said some more should come in tomorrow. So i went into town to ask some other chemists if they had some and no luck which is very dissapointing. Before i went to Tescos i went and picked my elderflowers for making more cordial so will they be ok until tomorrow when i can go back to Tescos and hope they have some. Will putting them in the fridge do any harm? Otherwise i will have to freeze them because i can't just throw them away. Emma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I think it was Surferdog who said that if you can't get any citric acid (a problem I had last year) you can use the juice of 2 lemons instead. That's what we have done this year - I have loads of lemons! So if you have any lemons going spare, you won't have to wait. I know someone else on here tried that and found it worked very well, but I can't remember who that was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Emma, if you prepare the flowers now and add the lemons, sugar and water, you can add the citric acid tomorrow when you get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I am in the process of making cordial that I plan to freeze. If I make champagne, how long does it keep for as it obviously can't be frozen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I've made the champagne in the summer and had a bottle with Christmas dinner so it keeps pretty well. Do check the bottles regularly though. If you are going to use plastic ones, you can teel if the fizz has built up too much as the bottles become very rigid and sometimes go out of shape. If this happens, just release the lid for a few seconds to let some of the fizz out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted June 18, 2009 Author Share Posted June 18, 2009 Ok so I couldn't wait 3 weeks...and I'm a naughty girl for drinking on my own (DH is away on an "old boys" sailing trip with an old school friend)...but I've just transferred the EF champagne which I had strained into a kilner jar into an empty plastic fizzy water bottle for safety's sake, and there wasn't room for the last smidge and it really wasn't worth pouring it into another bottle...so I drank it! It was lightly fizzy and extremely swigable ! I only strained it on Tuesday so in another couple of weeks it'll be extremely fizzy. Thank you Kate, this is my first taste of elderflower champagne ever...and I doubt very much it will be my last either!! Just as well I have 2 more batches on the go which I started today...I may just have to find myself another convenient bush & avail myself of another bucket of umbels (thanks Poet, I like that word & use it as much as I can, to my friends' total confusion!!) Can you make champagne from frozen flowers or just cordial? Sha x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
