Early last week, I’d just popped to see Mark Melly at Box Farm when I spotted his field of glorious wild elderflower. As one of nature’s bounties, Mark and I agreed it should go to good use.
The next thing anyone knew, we were emailing to offer to send some free with your next delivery, and I’d scheduled my family and friends to join me in elderflower foraging!
They ‘sold out’ almost as soon as we sent the email round. I’m pleased as summer punch that our last minute foraging idea was so popular.
If you were one of the lucky few to get your hands on some elderflower…either from us or a nearby hedgerow…let us know how you got on? What did you make with it?
We look forward to hearing from you,
Keith
Here are some of the comments we’ve received by email so far…
“I took your advice and made my cordial straight away. Following the ‘paleo’ style of food prep that we are following, I used honey – about 400/500 gm instead of sugar. The resultant cordial was really tasty. It was quite concentrated so we drank it ‘on ice’, diluted with some water, and our son used it as a mixer with gin and tonic. Delicious! I say ‘was’, but there is still a little bit left in the fridge! Thank you, it reminded me of the drinks we used to make with the elderflowers that grew in the garden when I was a child.”
“Oh, thank you very much Keith!
I got the elderflower yesterday morning and made cordial last night!
I am waiting the cordial till being extracted now!
Exciting!
I am Japanese and I hadn’t made elderflower cordial.
There are no elderflower in Tokyo.
Elderflower cordial is very English.
I am enjoying doing like English does.
Arigatou!”
“I just wanted to say thank you for the free elderflower you sent this week. It is so rare to get something so beautiful – and for free. I very much value your concept. As I am from Germany but living in London, I did not do elderflower cordial, but a south German speciality – elderflower fritters – (or Hollerküchle as they are called) which came out fantastic and are very easy. Much faster than cordial, too.
125g flower
3 eggs
1 spoon butter
1 spoon beer
2 spoons milk
a pinch of salt
mix a batter, dip in the flowers and fry until golden. Best with a little bit of icing sugar. Enjoy!”
“I’ve wanted to make elderflower cordial for years! I lived in oxford where there is tonnes of elderflower but didn’t manage to make any while I lived there.
I made it on Monday after seeing the note to make it asap. Both my husband and I have really enjoyed it – a super recipe.”
“The timing of this email is absolutely surreal, I have finished the recipe for the cordial within the last hour and have had the fantastic experience of drinking the first spoils which I have to admit were so delicious I am absolutely amazed I could produce it. So many thanks for the suggestion and recipe, I have plenty of cordial to enjoy and have frozen sufficient ice cubes to enjoy with some gin and tonic throughout the summer. Many Thanks to your foragers and Rachel for the recipe – absolutely brilliant.”
“Just a note to say I’ve already made the cordial and it’s delicious. We have some birthday celebrations coming up at the weekend so it will be great for that. Thank you so much to Keith and gang…”
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
02 Jul 2010 at 19:18
Thank you so much for the elderflower gift; the cordial it made is delicious, and well worth the slightly Paddington bear-ish sticky mess I generated in making it!
03 Jul 2010 at 09:18
This was a real treat – I loved finding the box and recipe in my box and made the cordial immediately! It is absolutely delicious – especially with fizzy water!
Lets have more of this sort of thing please – if you’re wondering it does make real business sense. I’m now an even more loyal customer!
03 Jul 2010 at 12:17
Thanks so much for the elderflowers. I made the cordial that same day. My mum and nan were the official taste testers – they said it took them back to their childhood, and got a big thumbs up!
03 Jul 2010 at 21:07
We loved making it and drinking it. We have it with fizzy water and sprig of mint every evening.
04 Jul 2010 at 10:03
Thank you for the elderflowers – what a perfume! Sat in the garden, sun shining, drinking the cordial – heaven.
04 Jul 2010 at 11:40
Thank you for bearing the heat and collecting the elderflowers! A lovely gift and the cordial was made as soon as I got home and unpacked my delivery last Monday. I’ve tried diluted with hot (not boiling) water and it is beautifully flowery and sweet – lucky me!
04 Jul 2010 at 13:47
I went out and picked some elderflowers locally – something I haven’t done for a while, and made some cordial from your recipe. I’ve also made several bottles of elderflower’ champagne’, which are now sitting in the kitchen. I hope the weather is OK later in the year so I can enjoy it in the garden. – I may have a go at making some elderflower ice cream with the cordial, it might work!
05 Jul 2010 at 06:27
Sadly I missed the wonderful offer but I love elderflower with fresh mint and a slice of lemon with hot water, it makes a wonderfully refreshing drink in warm weather, and with ginger turns into a wonderful warming drink in cold weather. What a wonderful way to use our natural resources, but make sure you leave enough flowers to turn to fruit and then you can enjoy a lovely pie or jam later in the season.
05 Jul 2010 at 09:15
I made elderflower cordial and also made ice cubes out of some of the cordial as you suggested. I felt very decadent watching the Wimbledon Men’s Final yesterday drinking a G&T cooled by elderflower ice cubes!
05 Jul 2010 at 18:24
I made my cordial the same day and it is absolutely delicious! It is unlikely to last long but if I made some more how long will it keep?
06 Jul 2010 at 09:37
Hello Judith,
It should easily keep for a week in the fridge, or you can pour it into ice cube trays and freeze the cubes until ready to use. Then you can just add them to water, or G&T like Helen. Lovely!
06 Jul 2010 at 10:37
Thank you for the thoughtful gift. I didn’t know that’s how cordial was made! It was a little sweet for us but still delicious andit was so satisfying to know I did it! Great idea.
06 Jul 2010 at 19:31
Thank you so much for the elderflowers.
I made the cordial on Saturday and tried it on Sunday. Perfect with fizzy water and a dash of extra lemon juice. I’m thinking of making iced tea with it at the weekend.
09 Oct 2010 at 21:49
Those fritters sound great too. Thank you
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