For some reason, the elderberries have come early this year. Like overexcited children rushing down the stairs to open their Christmas presents, the little beady fruits tumbled out as quick as they could and are now very much ripe for the taking.
I picked a bagful of elderberries this afternoon to make a strong and sugary cordial, rather like a refined ribena. Here’s how to make it:
You will need:
2 kg elderberries
150g granulated sugar
5 cloves
1. Pull the berries from their stalks using a fork, and empty into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover with water.
2. Cover the berries with water, cover the lid on the pan and leave to simmer in the pan for twenty minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and mash the berries in the pan so the juices spurt out. Then pour the mixture through a colander, mashing the juices out as you go.
4. Pour the mixture back into the pan and add 150g sugar and 5 cloves for every pint of juice. Bring to the boil for 10 minutes, then leave to cool.
5. Once the mixture is cool, pour into a sterilised bottle and store.
I love drinking this cold rather like ribena, or mixing with hot water for a truly lovely fruity tea (unlike those horrible teabags you can buy which taste like you’re drinking old wood), or just twisting a tiny amount through an icy drink of water.
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Tracy M
Interesting drink for my grandchildren.