20+ Elderflower Recipes: cordial, liqueur, tea, jelly, cake + more! (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between elderflower cordial and elderflower liqueur? ›

Contrary to the name, elderflower cordial does not contain alcohol. If the preparation has alcohol in it, it is typically referred to as an Elderflower Liqueur, like. St. Germain.

This cordial is packed full of Vitamin C which helps boost the immune system. Sugar is needed to sweeten the cordial but you can replace it with raw honey and experiment with natural unrefined sugars making it much healthier than shop bought cordials.

With citric acid, the cordial will last for 3-4 months in the fridge. Without citric acid, it will last 3-4 weeks in the fridge. You can always freeze elderflower cordial in smaller plastic bottles for longer term storage. You might also like my elderflower cordial co*cktail recipe (mocktail suggestion included!).

Elderflower has a woodsy and floral taste, and their sweetness comes out when elderflower is cooked. Photo courtesy of Shadi via Unsplash. Compared to elderflower, elderberry has a more intense taste: woodsy and floral, with a dark flavor that can be bitter and earthy when the fruit is consumed raw.

With a little tasting and tweaking, it'll work in place of elderflower liqueur in concoctions as diverse as the Yellow Jacket or Watermelon Crawl. Elderflower cordial is a natural companion for sparkling wine—add a little cordial to your bubbly along with some gin and a lemon slice for a twist on the French 75.

For something completely non-alcoholic, you could try our traditional homemade elderflower cordial instead. This summer refresher is easier to make than you might think. A light and fragrant drink, it's a fantastic alternative to shop-bought bubbly, and has hardly any alcohol.

Elderflower is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when used in excessive amounts. Some parts of the elder tree contain a cyanide-producing chemical which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Cooking removes this chemical.

Where I had gone wrong, was that I hadn't removed enough of the stalk and if you leave this in, you get this horrible, bitter taste, which ruins the cordial. To make the cordial, you'll need to leave it to infuse overnight and the most time-consuming part is in the prep, but it is really simple to do.

You can enjoy your newly made cordial for a few weeks if simply refrigerated. Preserving elderflower cordial by pasteurising can extend the shelf life to several years.

There is enough yeast in the flowers of the elderflower to cause it to ferment, go fizzy and become (very slightly) alcoholic. The solution is to freeze your cordial in small batches, and defrost as and when you need it.

Is elderflower cordial a laxative? ›

750ml Sugar Free ELDERFLOWER Cordial – EFSF

Add gin, rum or vodka. ingredients: water, xylitol, citric acid, elderflower extract, stevia, sodium benzoate. warning: excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

Elderflower liqueurs are delicately flavoured, aromatic and floral; they mix brilliantly with pretty much every spirit, both white and brown, even combining well with the strong flavours of mezcal, peated whisky and pisco. Elderflower tends to mix better with light-coloured fruits such as pear, apple and white grapes.

per bottle! This quarantees the easy mixability with sparkling wine/Champagne, or enjoyed chilled by itself!

With its sophisticated and subtle flavor profile, elderflower also is increasingly used as a flavoring in craft sodas and nonalcoholic co*cktails. Cooper supposedly based the recipe for what he branded St. Germain on elderflower liqueurs he sampled at bars in London, though St. Germain's version is produced in France.

St‑Germain is a French liqueur made with fresh elderflowers, hand-picked once a year in the late spring.

Liqueurs are basically liquors that have been flavored and sweetened. The term is interchangeable with “cordial,” except in the U.K., where cordial can also just refer to a sweet, non-alcoholic liquid.

Other Variations / Substitutes

You can substitute St-Germain with Giffard Fleur de Sureau Sauvage, St. Elder, and RoomeR Elderflower Aperitif.