Homemade Elderberry Cordial

We have an elderberry bush growing at the front of our house. I first noticed it in the spring when it came into flower and in the last month or so it's been producing big bunches of glossy dark red berries. Just the thing for a homemade cordial!

You can find elderberries growing wild in lots of places. Take a bowl and some scissors with you and snip away...

Homemade Elderberry Cordial

Ingredients
Elderberries
Water
Demerara sugar
Cinnamon sticks
Lemons

Instructions
1. Remove the elderberries from their stalks and put in a saucepan, adding just enough water to cover

2. Simmer for 20 minutes until the berries are soft and the water is dark red

3. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the berry juice through a sieve into a jug

4. Measure the juice. For every cup of juice, add a cup of sugar, a cinnamon stick and the juice of quarter of a lemon

5. Return to the heat and boil for 15 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sugar dissolves

6. Remove the cinnamon sticks and leave to cool slightly, before pouring into warm, sterilised bottles and sealing

Your cordial will keep for up to 3 months in the fridge, just dilute with water to enjoy!

I love this recipe because it doesn't matter how many elderberries you collect, you just adjust the quantities of other ingredients accordingly.

Are you a forager? Do you have any wild fruit recipes to share?

Claire