How to make homemade elderflower syrup

Arguably one the best scents when you’re hiking in the summer. The elder can be a bit scruffy looking tree growing in woodlands, hedgerows and wasteland. But if you happen to find an abundance of them then one good thing to make using the flowers is elderflower syrup.

Ingredients

40 elderflower heads
2 lemons
2 oranges
3 pints water
1 kilogram sugar
55g Citric Acid

What you will need

Large Pan
Large bowl
Scales
Muslin cloth
Jug
Glass bottle
Scissors
Tea Towel

How to make it

Find an area with plenty of elder flowers. Harvest the whole flower heads when the creamy white florets have just recently opened and you can see all the pollen. (Make sure to leave some flowers on the shrubs so elderberries can grow later in the summer)
Give the flowers a rinse, getting rid of any dead ones and bugs etc
Trim the stems off with scissors into a large bowl. The stems are toxic so make sure you get rid of as much as possible.
Peel and zest the lemons and oranges, and chop up slices into the bowl
In a large pan add the sugar and the water and bring to the boil, simmer and stir until all the sugar has dissolved.
Add the sugar mixture to your large bowl of elderflowers.
Measure out 55 grams of citric acid and add to the bowl and give it a big stir
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave for at least 24 hours (can be up to 5 days if you want)
Drain the syrup through a muslin into a jug
Transfer the syrup into your bottle (can be frozen) or it will keep in the fridge for a week or so.