20+ Elderflower Recipes: cordial, liqueur, tea, jelly, cake + more! (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between elderflower cordial and elderflower liqueur? ›

Contrary to the name, elderflower cordial does not contain alcohol. If the preparation has alcohol in it, it is typically referred to as an Elderflower Liqueur, like. St. Germain.

With a little tasting and tweaking, it'll work in place of elderflower liqueur in concoctions as diverse as the Yellow Jacket or Watermelon Crawl. Elderflower cordial is a natural companion for sparkling wine—add a little cordial to your bubbly along with some gin and a lemon slice for a twist on the French 75.

Elderflower is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when used short-term as medicine, or in small amounts as part of a combination product containing elderflower, sorrel, gentian root, verbena, and cowslip flower (SinuComp, Sinupret). The combination product can cause digestive system upset and sometimes allergic skin rash.

Why use citric acid in elderflower cordial? The addition of citric acid simply prevents the cordial from fermenting and acts as a preservative. You can buy citric acid for cordial online in a number of sizes depending on how you choose to use this versatile product.

Elderflower liqueurs are delicately flavoured, aromatic and floral; they mix brilliantly with pretty much every spirit, both white and brown, even combining well with the strong flavours of mezcal, peated whisky and pisco. Elderflower tends to mix better with light-coloured fruits such as pear, apple and white grapes.

St. Germain is not the only elderflower liqueur you can buy. Rather, it's the best-known and easiest to find. Look for elderflower liqueurs from brands such as Bols, Fluer, St. Elder, and The Bitter Truth to see how they compare. Nonalcoholic elderflower cordials are a good substitute as well.

It takes many pounds of flowers to produce a small amount of raw “liquor”. That is used to produce the flavoring used in cordials. Dried flowers are again smaller than the fresh, (all that water, you know) so it takes many flowers to make a pot of tea. If you take the flowers, there are no berries.

There is enough yeast in the flowers of the elderflower to cause it to ferment, go fizzy and become (very slightly) alcoholic. The solution is to freeze your cordial in small batches, and defrost as and when you need it.

Where I had gone wrong, was that I hadn't removed enough of the stalk and if you leave this in, you get this horrible, bitter taste, which ruins the cordial. To make the cordial, you'll need to leave it to infuse overnight and the most time-consuming part is in the prep, but it is really simple to do.

Elderflower is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when used in excessive amounts. Some parts of the elderflower plant contain a cyanide-producing chemical which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Cooking removes this chemical. Not enough is known about the safety of applying elderflower directly to the skin.

Is elderflower cordial full of sugar? ›

With this in mind, I tried the elderflower cordials diluted as directed on the label. They all seemed about right in terms of flavour level, and the sugar content after dilution was mostly similar: between 10g and 12g for a 250ml glass – nearly a tablespoonful.

As a supplement, elderflower also has diuretic and laxative properties and is helpful in relieving occasional constipation. Elderflower has antibacterial and antiviral properties and may also help alleviate some allergies and boost the functioning of the immune system.

Clean screw top bottle, or preserving jars. *citric acid is used as a preservative. It helps to stop the cordial from fermenting, giving the cordial a shelf life of 4-6 months.

Don't squeeze the cordial through the cloth when straining – that will make the cordial cloudy. (That said, a cloudy cordial is not the end of the world! It will still be perfectly drinkable, but a beautiful, crystal clear cordial is my preference.)

The liquid needs space to expand when frozen and believe me you do not want to experience a sticky elderflower cordial explosion in your freezer! If you are not into the sweet and slightly perfumed flowers try my Rhubarb Syrup Recipe or Raspberry Ginger Limeade instead.

Liqueurs And Cordials

Liqueurs are basically liquors that have been flavored and sweetened. The term is interchangeable with “cordial,” except in the U.K., where cordial can also just refer to a sweet, non-alcoholic liquid.

WHAT IS ST‑GERMAIN? St‑Germain is a French liqueur made with fresh elderflowers, handpicked in full bloom every spring.

Small cordial glasses are designed for enjoying liqueurs straight. For the most part, liqueurs are used in co*cktails where they add their sweet flavor to the drink.

This quarantees the easy mixability with sparkling wine/Champagne, or enjoyed chilled by itself!