Elderflower and rosehip cordial, step by step

1. How a cordial keeps itself

A herb cordial is a sweetened tea: water draws out the scent and colour, and sugar and acid help keep it from spoiling.

1. Sugar slows spoilage — A classic, thick cordial has 1–1.2 kg of sugar per 1 L of liquid. A lighter cordial has 0.6–0.8 kg, but the water bath is still essential.
2. Acid is essential — Lemon juice or citric acid gives a fresh taste, lowers the pH and the cordial darkens less. Herb cordials without fruit have no acid of their own.
3. Heat to 85 °C — Heat the cordial to 85 °C (185 °F) while stirring, until the sugar has fully dissolved. Don't boil it for long: it darkens and tastes of caramel.
4. Hot into hot bottles — The hot cordial goes into hot bottles, then into a 10-minute water bath. That way it keeps in the larder for up to 12 months.

Why: Even a cordial with a kilo of sugar per litre of water is not protected by itself against mould and yeast. Sugar slows spoilage, acid slows it further, and only heating and sealing in clean, hot bottles makes it safe.

• A cold-method cordial, made without heating, ferments easily: keep it only in the fridge and use it within 3–4 weeks.
• Buy lemons marked "unwaxed" or wash them in warm water with a brush.

2. Elder or danewort

Elder grows along hedges, roadsides and streams, and related plants that are not picked grow alongside it.

1. A woody shrub — Elder is a shrub or tree up to 6 m, with a woody trunk, bark and branches.
2. The berries hang down — When ripe, elderberries are black and glossy, in clusters that hang down.
3. Danewort is herbaceous — Danewort grows up to 1.5 m and comes up from the ground every year. It has no woody stem, and in winter there's nothing above ground.
4. If you're not sure, don't pick — Danewort has upright flower heads and clusters and an unpleasant, sharp smell. Pick only when all three signs of elder are certain.

Why: Danewort (dwarf elder) looks like elder and is poisonous: it causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and cramps. Red elderberry has red berries and isn't for cordial either.

• In July and August, when elder already has green berries, danewort is only just flowering, often in dense patches in meadows.
• If you don't know the difference, pick from a shrub someone who knows has shown you, or plant an elder in your own garden.

3. Picking the flowers · Locked

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4. Elderflower cordial · Locked

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5. Elderberries and rosehips · Locked

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6. Filling, water bath and storage · Locked

Buy the Elderflower, rosehip and herb cordials module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.