On a warm, sunny day, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than Ireland, and there’s no better drink on such a day than elderflower cordial. It’s Irish summer in a glass.
Elderflowers are at their peak at this time of year and the countryside is overrun with them. I have two elder trees of my own in my garden that I’ve been impatiently eying up since the spring, waiting for the flowers to blossom, but I can’t pass a single tree by without sizing up how many flowers it has and thinking of all the cordial I could make from it. I never had elderflower cordial before I moved to Ireland, but now I love it.
Today being Midsummer’s Eve, I’ll be celebrating the longest day of the year (and my wedding anniversary) by glamming up the usual cordial and making an elderflower Bellini instead by swapping the sparkling water for sparkling wine. In the folklore that surrounds elder trees, it’s said that the best time to encounter faeries is under an elder bush on Midsummer’s Eve, when the faery king and queen and their train can be seen passing.
I’ve lived in Ireland for 12 years, but the fact that there will still be remnants of light in the western sky as late as 11:30 p.m. is still a source of wonder. Of course, the converse of that is that it’s pitch dark by 4:30 p.m. in December, but on the shortest day of the year, when summer feels like a distant memory, I know that in only six months I have elderflowers and long, bright days to look forward to.
Elderflower Bellini
adapted from Forgotten Skills of Cooking
Makes 500 ml (2 cups) elderflower syrup
If you can’t find unwaxed lemons, lightly scrub them under warm water with a clean scrubbing brush before you zest them.
200 g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
500 ml (2 cups) cold water
6 to 8 elderflower heads, in full bloom
zest and juice of 2 lemons, preferably organic and unwaxed
1 bottle of sparkling wine (prosecco, cava or champagne), chilled
fresh raspberries, to decorate (one per glass)
Put the sugar and water into a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the elderflowers and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the lemon zest and juice. Set aside to cool, then cover and leave to infuse for 24 hours. Strain and pour into clean, sterilised bottles (or freeze the syrup in an ice cube tray).
Pour 1 or 2 tablespoons of the syrup into a champagne flute. Top up with chilled sparkling wine and add one raspberry to each glass.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Is it wrong that I could drink it right now at 7:45am……
Only in Ireland, right?
Gorgeous photo. Love how bright and clean it is.
Mine are always with dirty dishes in the background. #storyofmylife
I do love the long days, but love the comfort of the long nights too!
Móna
Móna, don’t be fooled – there are plenty of dirty dishes in my kitchen, they’re just outside the frame of the photo!
That looks so good – I wonder if there are any flowers near me…
Happy Anniversary!
If where you live is anything like where I live, the hedgerows will be bursting with elderflowers!
Right, that’s it, I am definitely going to bite the bullet and pick all of the elderflowers in my office garden now (my colleagues can think what they want!)
Happy anniversary, and happy Midsummer’s Day. Now, if those pesky grey clouds would only clear…
Catherine, who cares what the coworkers think? They’ll all be jealous of your lovely homemade cordial.
I looked at the elderflower trees in St. Anne’s on Sunday and most of the flowers are looking old and natty or are gone already. You still have fresh flowers on your trees?
We’re still amazed by the long evenings, too!
Bill, my own elder trees seemed slow to blossom compared to other places, so mine are in peak condition right now. I’ve noticed others though that are beginning to wane. These long summer evenings never lose their novelty factor, do they?
oh congrats – what a lovely date for a wedding! love the post and photos. love elderflower belini’s…one day soon now i’ll be back drinking… s x
We were very lucky – June 21 nine years ago fell on a Friday, so it was perfect. An elderflower Bellini would certainly get you back drinking in style!
What would the cost be to ship some of your elderflower syrup to Indiana? xoxo
Leah, you’ll just have to come visit me again to try some.
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