Well im blowed, I expected the elderflowers on my allotment to be of the cat pee variety, and I have sniffed my way round the entire lottie, and only one turned out to be cat pee smelling, guess Im gonna have a bumper load of elderflower this year. Mind you I will be leaving some for the berries, have got a nice receipe forf a mixture of elderberry and blackberry, and an elderflower wine that I found on the internet, if anyone is interested.
Elderflower wine
Ingredients
Grated rind of one lemon
500mls (1 pint) of elderflowers - to obtain this pick or shake of the elderflowers
and place into a measuring jug. Don't push them down but do shake them down. Be careful not to add any of the bitter green stems.
3.5 litres (8 pints) of boiling water
1.3kg (3 lbs) sugar Juice of one lemon
25g (Half an ounce) yeast
Method
Put lemon rind with the elderflowers and pour over boiling water
Allow to stand for 4 days, stirring occasionally.
Strain through a fine sieve or muslin cloth
Stir in sugar, lemon juice and yeast
Keep at room temperature to ferment, try not to let it go down to 18c (65f)
When you are sure all the bubbling has ceased, stir the wine and allow to settle for 3 days
Strain again carefully
Put in a demijohn (not bottles)
After 3 months maturing, put into bottles
Blackberry & Elderberry Wine
1 kilo of ripe blackberries
1 kilo of ripe elderberries
1.3kilos of sugar
1.5 tsp of citric acid
1 tsp of Pectolase
1 250gm tin of red grape concentrate
Burgundy, red wine or general purpose yeast
2 Campden tablets
1. Remove the stems from the fruit and wash it thoroughly.
2. Mash the blackberries and elderberries in a clean plastic bucket with a clean potato masher and pour over 2 litres of boiling water. Mix Well.
3. Allow to cool to about 21deg C. and add a crushed campden tablet and stir well.
4. Add the pectolase and citric acid, stir well and then add the yeast a day later.
5. Cover the bucket and allow to ferment on the “pulp” for 4/5 days stirring daily.
6. Strain through a nylon bag or sieve on to 1.3 kilos of sugar. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and pour into a demijohn.
7. Add the red grape concentrate and make up to 4.5 litres with more water.
8. Give a final stir, fit an air lock and leave the vessel in a warm place about 20-22deg C until there are no more bubbles passing through the air lock.
9. Add another campden tablet and syphon (rack off) into another demijohn and refit air lock.
10. Gradually the wine will clear and after about 6 weeks it should be ready to syphon into green bottles.
11. It is best to leave for about 9 to 12 months or longer before drinking.
12. You will have a lovely wine to be proud of! It will have a deep, rich colour too