The short answer: to make elderflower syrup, steep 15 to 20 fresh elderflower heads with 2 sliced lemons and 50 g citric acid in a hot syrup of 1.5 litres water and 1.5 kg sugar. Cover and leave it for 24 to 48 hours. Strain it through a cloth, bottle it and keep it in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.
Elderflower syrup, also called elderflower cordial, captures early summer in a bottle. The creamy flower heads appear on elder trees from late May to June across Europe and much of North America. You only get a few weeks, so it pays to be ready. This guide covers when and how to pick, the classic recipe, how long the syrup keeps, and the best ways to use it.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Time | 20 minutes of work, 24 to 48 hours steeping |
| Makes | About 2.5 litres |
| Season | Late May to June |
| Keeps | Up to 6 weeks in the fridge, months frozen |
Ingredients
- 15 to 20 large elderflower heads, freshly picked
- 1.5 litres (6 cups) water
- 1.5 kg (7½ cups) white sugar
- 2 unwaxed lemons, zest and slices
- 50 g citric acid, or the juice of 2 more lemons
Citric acid is a white powder sold in baking shops and pharmacies. It makes the syrup taste sharper and helps it keep. No citric acid? Use the juice of 2 extra lemons.
How to pick elderflowers
- Pick on a dry, sunny morning. Fully open flowers smell sweet and slightly of honey. If a head smells sour or musty, leave it.
- Choose clean trees. Stay away from busy roads and sprayed fields.
- Take a few heads per tree. The flowers you leave become elderberries in autumn.
- Do not wash them. The yellow pollen carries much of the flavour. Shake each head gently to remove insects instead.
- Use them the same day. Picked flowers start to brown and smell stale within hours.
Only the flowers. Trim the flower heads away from the thick green stalks. The leaves, stalks and unripe berries of the elder tree are not for eating. If you are not sure you have found elder, check with a good plant guide before you pick.
How to make elderflower syrup
- Make the syrup. Heat the water and sugar in a large pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring it just to a boil, then take it off the heat.
- Add the lemons. Zest the lemons into the pan, then slice them and add the slices. Stir in the citric acid, if you use it.
- Add the flowers. Push the flower heads under the hot syrup with a spoon.
- Steep. Cover with a clean tea towel or lid and leave it in a cool place for 24 to 48 hours. Stir once a day.
- Strain. Pour it through a sieve lined with a clean muslin cloth or a coffee filter.
- Bottle. Fill clean, hot-rinsed bottles, close them, and keep them in the fridge.
Elderflower syrup without lemons
Lemons give the classic sharp, fresh taste, but you can change them. Oranges make a softer, sweeter syrup. Limes make it brighter and a little more tropical. A thumb of sliced fresh ginger in the steep adds gentle warmth. Keep the citric acid in any version: the syrup needs acid to taste balanced and to keep.
For a small batch, use a third of everything: 5 to 7 flower heads, 500 ml water, 500 g sugar, 1 lemon and 15 g citric acid.
How long elderflower syrup keeps
| How you store it | How long |
|---|---|
| Fridge, clean closed bottle | Up to 6 weeks |
| Freezer, plastic bottles or cube trays | 6 months or more |
Freeze some in plastic bottles with space at the top, or in ice-cube trays. That way you can still have elderflower in autumn. Throw the syrup out if it turns fizzy, cloudy or mouldy, or smells of yeast. Clean bottles and a cold fridge are the best protection.
How to use elderflower syrup
- Elderflower soda: 1 part syrup to 6 to 10 parts sparkling water, with ice and a slice of lemon.
- Lemonade: add a splash to fresh lemonade for a floral twist.
- Iced tea: sweeten green tea with it and add mint.
- Desserts: drizzle it over strawberries, stir it into whipped cream, or soak a sponge cake with it.
- Sorbet: dilute it 1 to 3 with water and freeze in an ice-cream maker.
- Jam: a few spoons lift gooseberry or rhubarb jam.
Elderflower is lovely with other summer syrups too. Try a glass with a spoon of our vanilla syrup, or warm it up in winter with ginger syrup.
Common mistakes
- Washing the flowers: you rinse away the pollen and most of the flavour.
- Picking after rain: wet flowers taste flat and spoil faster.
- Leaving in green stalks: they add a bitter, grassy note. Trim close to the flowers.
- Old, brown flowers: they smell musty, not of honey. Pick only fresh, creamy heads.
- Warm storage: homemade syrup is not a shop product. Keep it cold.
Questions
When can I pick elderflowers?
From late May to the end of June in most of Europe, a little later further north. Pick fully open, sweet-smelling heads on a dry morning.
Should I wash elderflowers?
No. Washing removes the pollen, which carries much of the flavour. Shake the heads gently to remove insects.
How long does homemade elderflower syrup last?
Up to 6 weeks in a clean, closed bottle in the fridge, and 6 months or more frozen.
Do I need citric acid?
No, but it adds a fresh, sharp taste and helps the syrup keep longer. You can use the juice of 2 extra lemons instead.
Is elderflower syrup the same as elderflower cordial?
Yes. Cordial is the usual British name. Both are a sweet concentrate you dilute with water.
