Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Eating and Drinking => Homebrew => Topic started by: horticgirl on June 28, 2010, 12:29
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Hi
I have just picked my flowers to make my 2nd batch of champagne and thought I'd make some cordial for the kids as well. However I have read that you need citric acid.
I expected to be able to get it from the chemist, but it seems alot of them don't stock it any more as (according to the elderly lady who stopped to talk to me while I was collecting my flowers) it is used to chop up cocaine with!
I am sure I could get it on line if necessary, but I have my flowers ready and waiting so don't want to wait that long.
I just wondered if there is something else I could use instead?
Thanks
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Lemons
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Wilkinsons sell it and some chemists but you have to ask and they will ask you what you want it for ??? (like your going to say 'for drugs') :D
Diane
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Do you have the reciepe ?
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Thanks - i went to our local chemist yesterday but they had sold out. they only keep a limited supply which tends to run out at this time of year.
I am going to pop to wilko's now and see if they've got any.
I do have a recipe thanks - well various ones i've found on the net.
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Hi,
Having just bottled up my elderflower cordial I thought I'd tell you what I know. I follow Hugh F-W's recipe which just uses lemon juice and sugar although he does say to add some tartaric acid if you want it to keep for more than a month. I tend to ignore this and freeze what I don't want immediately so that I have enough to last throughout the year without the worry of it going off. The bottle that I am currently using is kept in the fridge and used within a few weeks. If you're interested I can post the recipe on here?
With regard citric acid, I was once told by an antiques expert that it was great for cleaning copper. We managed to track some down to a chemist that specialised in home brewing supplies. I gather home brew enthusiasts use it a fair bit. As for the copper, well I never have quite gotten round to cleaning it!!!
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Thanks pigeonpie i have just come back from wilko's - sold out. It would be great if you could post the recipe.
Is tartaric acid the same thing as cream of tarter - i could probably get some of that from the supermarket in the baking section?
I was hoping to keep it a while - although the kids will probably drink it up fairly quickly. I don't really have the room to freeze it.
I was wondering about maybe trying to pastuerise it in order to keep it longer - does anyone know if you can do this?
Thanks
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just in case anyone come back to check this thread, I now have citric acid. Hubby managed to get it from a chemist nr his work.
I have also found the RC cordial rescipe - so that's what I'm doing tonight!
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So what's the big secret recipe Hortigirl? :dry:
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For future reference for all those people that have problems buying citric acid; I buy mine on ebay, it is alot cheaper than the chemists.
Made two lots of cordial this year, 4lts in total, the second batch I have made using half a campden tablet which is supposed to allow it to be kept at ambient temperature almost indefinately! I will see!
Bob
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I pasteurise mine and it has never gone off but I don't think it had time last year as it was all gone in about 2 months! Made 12 litres this year in the hope it will last me!