Elderflower Cordial for health

The Elder (Sambucus Niger) is often refered to as “The medicine chest of the country folk” , it is said that it is the oldest herb cultivated by mankind and had been used as a herbal medicine for over 4 thousand years.

Here we give the recipe for Elderflower cordial which can be used to relieve the symptoms of allergies to pollens etc and to reduce the effects of sinusitis. Ideally one would start drinking a glass or two of diluted elderflower cordial a few weeks before the pollens became a problem to help build a resistance, it’s a lovely refreshing drink  so make plenty to store for future use.

You’ll need:
20 heads of elderflower flowers,
1.8kg granulated sugar, or caster sugar ,
1.2 litres water ,
2 unwaxed lemons
75g citric acid (available from chemists)

To make:
1. Shake the elderflowers to remove insects, and then place in a large bowl.
2. Put the sugar in a pan with the water and bring up to the boil, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. While the sugar syrup is heating, pare the zest of the lemons in wide strips and add to the bowl of elderflowers. Slice the lemonsand add these to the bowl. Pour over the boiling syrup, and  stir in the citric acid. Cover with a cloth and then leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
4. Next day, strain the cordial through a sieve lined with muslin  and  bottle.