Elderflower cordial, a drink many people associate with summer. A drink to be enjoyed on the terrace or in the garden, when the weather is really hot.

It takes 3 days to make the cordial but the effort is minimal, and the result is so much better than the shop bought versions.

Remember to use flowerheads from plants growing a long way from traffic and petrol fumes, and use only newly opened flowerheads.

I always remove the stems. Some people claim the stems gives the cordial an unwanted bitterness. Others say the bitterness is caused by using older flowerheads. If you use new flowerheads and remove the stems, you have done all you can.

Since the juice contains no additives, the durability is fairly short. Use it in drinks, boil it down to a syrup or freeze the cordial in ice cube trays. Remember to dilute the elderflower cordial with water before drinking.