The floral and fruity flavor of this Homemade Elderflower Cordial Syrup goes perfectly in so many cocktails or mocktails! And, it is so much more affordable than buying a bottle of elderflower syrup.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It only requires 3 simple ingredients!
- You can adjust the sweetness to suit your taste preferences.
- It’s way more affordable than store-bought elderflower syrup.
What are elderflowers?
Elderflowers come from the elder tree (Sambucus nigra). Many people may also be familiar with the berries of the elder tree from elderberry syrups sold at various places.
St. Elder and St. Germain liqueur are two brands that make elderflower liqueurs (alcohol based) that are widely found at many liquor stores.
Many claim a lot health benefits from elderflowers and elderflower tea (dried elderflowers) such as helping respiratory health, inflammation, diabetes, and more; however, there has not been any strong evidence for the health claims surrounding elderflowers.
From a culinary and food perspective, the FDA classifies elderflowers as a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) ingredient along with other herbs and spices such as chamomile, all spice, cinnamon, etc.
Ingredient Notes
- Elderflower tea – I am, like many people, not able to source fresh elderflower blossoms, but elderflower tea is much easier to find. I found mine on Amazon. The one I bought is 100% dried elderflowers.
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- Granulated sugar – Just your basic white, granulated sugar or cane sugar is the best for this sweet syrup. Other sugars, like brown sugar, will overpower the delicate floral flavor.
- Water – Just plain still water. Using filtered water will help ensure the best taste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Heat your water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and add a elderflower tea bag. Use one tea bag per cup of water. Cut stove to slow and allow tea to brew for about 15 minutes.
Step 2: Add your granulated sugar.
Step 3: Whisk the tea until the sugar is dissolved.
Step 4: Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Then decant into a clean jar or bottle. It will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
Simple Syrups vs. Rich Syrup
Simple syrups are the most common sweetener used in mocktails and cocktails. Rich syrups are thicker, sweeter, and more concentrated. You can make either when making your Elderflower Cordial Syrup. The ratios of sugar to water are:
- Simple syrup = 1 cup sugar: 1 cup water
- Rich syrup = 2 cups sugar: 1 cup water
Recipe FAQ
You can easily elderflower tea find on Amazon.
It is obviously sweet, but the elderflower has a delicate floral taste with lychee, pear, and vanilla notes. The floral flavor is not like other floral flavors such as lavender or rose. Elderflower has a more crisp and fruitier flavor than other edible flowers.
Ideas for using elderflower syrup:
-Substitute elderflower cordial syrup for simple syrup in drink recipes (such as a champagne cocktail like a French 75)
-Use it in place of elderflower liqueur to change a drink from alcoholic to non-alcoholic
-Drizzling over fresh fruit or ice cream
-Adding it to soda water to make DIY soft drinks
-Brush on cakes to soak in before icing to give extra moisture to a cake
-Sweeten iced tea on hot summer days
-Add to an ice cube tray and freeze into ice cubes for a refreshing drink
About 2-3 weeks in the fridge. If you increase the granulated sugar to 2 cups instead of just 1 (called a “rich syrup”), you can extend the time to 3-6 months. You will just need to adjust how much you use in your recipes to account for the extra sweetness.
If it starts to look cloudy or forms any films, you should dispose of it immediately.
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Elderflower Cordial Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 bag elderflower tea
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in a small sauce pan.
- Lower heat to low and add the elderflower tea bag. Brew for at least 15 minutes.
- Add the sugar to the saucepan and whisk until completely dissolved.
- Discard the tea bag and allow to cool completely.
- Decant into a clean jar or bottle and keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
Notes
Double the amount of sugar, but keep the water amount the same.
Keep the rich syrup for 4-6 weeks in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer.
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