Elderflower cordial

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Elderflower Cordial is a soft drink made largely from a refined sugar and water solution and uses the flowers of the elderflower. Historically it has been popular in North Western Europe where it has a strong Victorian heritage, however versions of an Elderflower Cordial recipe can be traced back to Roman times. It is an aromatic syrup, and when mixed with sparkling water, is very refreshing. (Citation needed for potential medical uses.) Though medical uses are unknown for the cordial itself, the highly satisfying nature of the beverage itself can be quite stimulating. It is quite simple to make at home when elderflowers are in season, from mid May to mid June. Elderflower heads are steeped in a concentrated sugar solution so the flavour is extracted into the sugar solution. The flowers are then removed and a source of citric acid (usually lemon juice) is added to help preserve the cordial and add a tart flavour. This process does technically mean that there are no elderflowers in a bottle of Elderflower Cordial.

Commercial production of Elderflower Cordial uses a scaled up version of the process described above. There are many commercial producers of Elderflower Cordial, these include Belvoir Fruit Farms, Thorncroft and Bottlegreen - the dominant producers in the UK. Ikea also sells a Swedish elderflower cordial and Duchy Originals have one produced for them.

Commercially produced cordials are generally quite concentrated and are usually diluted by one part cordial to ten parts water, thus a 50cl bottle of cordial would be enough for 5.5 litres diluted. The high concentration of sugar in Elderflower Cordial gives it a long shelf life.