Elderflower Cordial/Champagne.

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Elderflower Cordial/Champagne.
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gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Fri May 22, 09 7:53 am Post subject: Elderflower Cordial/Champagne.
Does anyone have tried and tested recipes for Elderflower cordial/champagne? Have found a good stash , nearly ready to go and nowhere near a road!

bingo

Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 4401
Location: The Games Room normally!

Posted: Fri May 22, 09 8:26 am Post subject:
The Hugh Fearnley Whittingchair champange recipe works does well it does!

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Fri May 22, 09 11:35 am Post subject:
Here you are.

gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Fri May 22, 09 4:31 pm Post subject:
Thanks Jamanda,

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Fri May 22, 09 9:44 pm Post subject:

bingo wrote:

The Hugh Fearnley Whittingchair champange recipe works does well it does!

Agree, excellent results. This year I'll be making tonnes.

wildfoodie

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 2169

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 09 8:29 am Post subject:
Damn! I was up in scotland last week where elderflowers were basking and blooming in fabulous weather. have arrived home to masses of rain and the season here seems pretty much over.... have only made one small batch of cordial this year - how will I survive?

mutti

Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Posts: 111

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 09 3:46 pm Post subject:
if you bottle and cork champagne, will they be OK to leave or poss explode? The HFW receipe mentions serving after 8 days......we're off on hols soon so probably won't be able to drink everything that we make. of course, we'll make cordial too but you know, the boozy stuff is top of the list

gil
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 09 4:50 pm Post subject:

mutti wrote:

if you bottle and cork champagne, will they be OK to leave or poss explode? The HFW receipe mentions serving after 8 days......we're off on hols soon

so probably won't be able to drink everything that we make.

of course, we'll make cordial too but you know, the boozy stuff is top of the list

Put what you don't drink in the fridge before you go away. That should stop further activity.

mutti

Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Posts: 111

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 09 4:53 pm Post subject:
cheers for the tip

themoron

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 70
Location: Christchurch, Dorset

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 09 10:20 pm Post subject:
With mine, I half fill 2 litre coke bottles and leave the top loosened a bit. The plastic allows for some expansion so if you put it in the fridge as Gil said it should be fine. I've also put half in demijohns to make some proper wine. I've not done it before so it's a bit of an experiment. It wasn't that sweet as is so I put a bit more sugar in first.

gil
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 09 10:57 pm Post subject:

themoron wrote:

I've also put half in demijohns to make some proper wine. I've not done it before so it's a bit of an experiment. It wasn't that sweet as is so I put a bit more sugar in first.

Having tried various versions, I reckon a light, dry elderflower wine is better tastewise than a heavier sweeter one.
If you add more sugar now during fermentation, you'll just end up with a stronger but still dry wine. Which is probably about right for making a proper wine rather than a 'champagne' that is very low in alcohol.
Anyway, you can always 'sugar up' right at the end of the process, as you are about to finally drink it, with a small jug of sugar syrup to hand.

If you're going to make your elderflowers into a wine, I reckon about 1kg sugar per gallon is fine, or 900g sugar + 1 litre white grape juice to give it some body.

mutti

Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Posts: 111

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 09 6:12 am Post subject:
Mr M went foraging last night - looks like we got some just in time. It's not as good as it was a week ago and maybe on its way out but I'll still give it a go.

Dani

Joined: 03 Mar 2009
Posts: 126
Location: Hertfordshire

Posted: Sun Aug 02, 09 11:09 am Post subject:
our elderflower champers was lovely... except, we forgot about a 2 litre bottle at the back of the shelf. well, it made its presence known at 4am the other day. I thought Buncefield had gone up again. I have had to wash everything at least 6 times to get the stickiness off. Terrible it was. 2L of liquid sure does go a long long way...

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Sun Aug 02, 09 11:12 am Post subject:
Oh dear. That sounds very sticky.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Sun Aug 02, 09 1:38 pm Post subject:
Ooops. It is amazing how sticky sugary liquids can be.

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