Tuesday 31 July 2012

Elderflower Champagne

I've been off the radar for a bit as I've been working, planning and frantically thrifting for series 3 of Superscrimpers!



So on i go....... I love love love Elderflower, i love to drink it, eat it, sniff it, id roll in the stuff if i could, i simply cant get enough of those little white flowers for the short little snippet of the year it gifts us with its sickly sweet pong!
Ive been heckled to put up this recipe that my family and i use for THE most beautiful Elderflower Champagne........I know i know all the flowers have now gone...although if you are a true Elderholic like me you would have frozen some flowers to capture everlasting gloriousness of those little scrumptious blooms! SO..... please print off this page and keep it safe until next June, as soon as June hits, go out following your nose, sniffing the air for a sweet tea smell that makes your nostrils fizz when you shove your hooter into your newly found Elderflower bush THEN DON'T TELL A SOUL.....THAT SHRUB IS ALL YOURS! (well as long as it is actually on land that you have permission to pick from....if you get the nod, scrump away!)



This recipe makes about 4 litres, I'd suggest either using plastic screw top bottles (and let out some gas now and then) or those glass pop top bottles, and i always suggest keeping these outside or in the shed, while they are fermenting the can get a little excited and POP...i keep mine under the garden table...



Ingredients

4 litres hot water
700g sugar
Juice and zest of four lemons
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
About 15 elderflower heads, in full bloom
A pinch of dried yeast (you may not need any but i always have had to use it)



What you do

* Put the hot water and sugar into a large container (i use my sons toy bucket after its had a swish of fairy liquid)and stir until the sugar dissolves, then top up with cold water so you have 6 litres of liquid in total.
* Add the lemon juice and zest, the vinegar and the flower heads and stir gently.
*  Cover with clean muslin (I use old shiny clean muslin squares from when children where babies) and leave to ferment in a cool, airy place for a couple of days.
* After a couple of days have a peep and if it's not becoming a little foamy and obviously beginning to ferment, add a pinch of yeast.
*  Leave the mixture to ferment, again covered with muslin, for another four days.
*  Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with the muslin and decant into sterilised bottles
Seal and leave to ferment in the bottles for at least a week before serving, chilled. The champagne should keep in the bottles for several months and gets better by the week. don't forget DO NOT to store it in the house...a sticky champagne mess after one has popped is not a nice thing to be cleaning up.

If you cant wait until next year, pop over mine, i have 26 litres of champagne bubbles ready for the ice!

TA TA!

32 comments:

  1. I will definitely be trying this! I love elderflower cordial!

    x

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  2. Its a must and very impressive when you have the girls round!!! x

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  3. Bah, just tried to comment to, apparently, no avail.

    To repeat - so glad that I found your blog having seen you make this with a bride to be on SuperSs.

    It is now *my* turn to be a bride-to-be and I want to try this out as it sounds fabulous.

    Question regarding freezing - you mention that you freeze elderflower heads, have you ever used the defrosted heads to make this champagne and if so, did it work?

    Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Tamara,

      tbh ive never used frozen elderflower to make the champagne as I make so so much of it, it kinda lasts me... but it does work with most other things. I'd hate to say yes just incase but as soon as those wonderful blooms have shown me there pretty heads ill do an experiment and let you know!

      hope your wedding plans are coming along well....Elderflower champagne is the perfect wedding drink!
      x x

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    2. Sorry for so many questions..I now have some lovely elderflower . ..can I use a large stainless steel pot and cover with the lid...or should you always cover with muslin?.. ;-)

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    3. You need to use a fabric lid, if you don't have a muslin try a clean tea towel...that should work, good luck x

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  4. I make this every year but always loose the recipe. Yours looks great, so will definitely be giving it a go. x

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  5. Hello..been wanting to try this ever since I saw you make it on SS...2 questions: how do you sterilise your plastic bottles..and do elderflower bushes have thorns?

    Thanks so much :-)

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    Replies
    1. Yes always sterilise with tables or boiling water first! X

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  6. Hi, just made 10 litres of this, as it sounds brilliant (and simple). One question, I had a load of small crawly things wondering around, so tried to wash the flowers, ending up losing a load of the petals. Do you wash your flowers or just live with the bugs being strained off later?

    @madraster - no thorns on an elder bush.

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    Replies
    1. Washing or shaking the flowers will remove alot of the pollen which gives you the flavour. Leave the flowers on news paper and most bugs will up and leave.

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    2. Don't worry about all the bugs, they are fine, you will strain all the "litter" off later x

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    3. thanks for the replies, I have strained and bottled it this weekend, just too late for Wimbledon. (Well Done Andy!). Bugs are drowned, and it is tasting good. Rx

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  7. Hoping for a reply to above question about using a stainless steel pot. Is it OK.

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    Replies
    1. Yes darling, a stainless steal pot is quite perfect!

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  8. This looks good so thought I would give it a go. Got loads of elderflowers so decided to try 25 litres, started to ferment after only a couple of days haven't needed to add any yeast.

    Regarding the stainless pot question, you should be able to do this in anything as long as it is clean. The muslin covering is only to let the gas caused by fermentation out and to keep any little bugs from getting in.

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  9. Thanks Ben! Maybe we can all come around yours to try your 25 litres! ;0) x

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  10. Hi Claire,

    I made this a couple of weeks ago and it's lovely. Can you confirm whether or not it is alcoholic? I can't seem to find a straight answer- some websites say no alcohol and some same 3-4%.

    Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hi Danielle

      Yes it does have a small amount of booze in it, I'd say about 4%, if you want to be sure I do know you can buy test kits from brewery stores.

      Claire x

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  11. Thanks for this recipe. I've just bottled my
    First batch and it's quite tasty already. I've another waiting to be bottled and reckon I'll have about 20l. Will the champagne and/or cordial keep for months, or am I on the clock to drink this and share it? What's your experience? Cheers, DDxx

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  12. Hiya
    That's amazing! I wish I had made that much! It doesn't actually keep that well, I'd say your good untill just after Christmas....happy sipping :0)

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  13. This is good news. If I can attempt to keep some till Christmas, it'll be great to serve and give away. :). Not sure I'll be able to save it for that long though! Much appreciated. Dxx

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  14. Hello,
    Can you use wine bottles with corks for putting the Elder Flower champagne in?

    Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hi Andrew

      Personally I wouldn't, they build up allot of gas and could pop open, leaving you a wonderful sticky mess on the floor (past experience!) I always use clip top bottle I found in Ikea or plastic screw top bottles

      Claire x

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    2. Thank you for the information and saving us from a sticky mess :D

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  15. Hi, I was wondering at what point do you stop releasing pressure from the bottles? I bottled 6 litres at the weekend in plastic bottles and have been letting the (fairly substantial) pressure escape each day. Surely if I continue to do this it'll end up on the flat side?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Nick

      Your doing too much pressure releasing! My plastic bottles end up compleatly bulging before I let off pressure, and tbh in the past I've popped them outside and have forgotten about them and only one popped.....just forget about them for a while, maybe check in a week or so.

      All the best

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  16. Hello,

    I've just tried to make a batch and I just went to check it after a couple of days to see if i needed to add yeast, and the top of it has grown mould. Is that alright or should I chuck it away and start again?

    Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hiya

      That's totally fine, I like to see a bit of fluffy mould on top, it means it's nice and alive! You will filter all the dirty bits out in the end so don't worry at all.

      Happy fermenting!

      X

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  17. I read your many blog and this one is also, it's very great content writing by you, i like it your all posts...

    This recipe also good.. I want to show you one link it's just coming in market and it's popular in very few times : Restaurants in Ahmedabad.

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  18. Hi Claire im just wondering how to make elderflower cordial

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  19. Hi Claire

    I saw this recipe on Superscrimpers and thought it sounded amazing. I am getting married the third week of May so the elderflowers won't be in season by then. Can you make champagne with anything else? I want to use as many thrifty ideas as possible for the wedding.

    Many Thanks

    Kim

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