Elderflower Syrup
The flavors of elderflowers can be captured in a simple syrup and used in cocktails, as a base for sorbets, poured over cakes or baked into custards.
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 ounces dried elderflowers or 4 tablespoons fresh elderflowers, stripped from the stem, green parts removed
- ½ teaspoon citric acid (optional)
- 1 lemon, sliced
Instructions
- Make a 1:1 simple syrup, heating the water and stirring in the sugar until dissolved.
- Place the destemmed elderflowers in a quart-size jar. Add citric acid, (if using) and sliced lemon. Syrup made without citric acid will not keep for more than a week without fermenting; the addition of citric acid makes it keep longer.
- Once the syrup has cooled, pour it over the elderflower mixture. Allow this to infuse in the fridge for 24–48 hours; any longer may induce fermentation due to the presence of wild natural yeasts on the elderflowers.
- Strain the flowers and lemon from the syrup. Store in a clean quart-size jar or clamp-topped jar.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
