Before I learned how to make Elderflower cordial I was often put off by long winded instructions and the general 'faff' that often comes with making your own produce. But I do so love Elderflower cordial so I was determined to give it a try and I'm so pleased I did - It is unbelievably easy to make, there is hardly any faff and it also tastes a thousand times better than shop-bought. I now look forward to making it year after year (as does my family) and once made you can also use it to make scrumptious Elderflower cocktails such as the 'Hugo' which I served at our wedding! I've included the recipe for that at the end too ...

I headed over to see my friend Nicki as she's makes it every year too. Nicki is not only a friend, she's also a fellow crafter AND she's a trained reflexologist. I tried to convince her to give me a foot massage while I peeled the lemons but she wasn't having any of it! Here's how to make our delicious Elderflower cordial. Do let me know how yours turns out ...

25 elderflower heads

1.5 litres water

1.5 Kg caster sugar

2 lemons (unwaxed if possible)

60 g citric acid

+  a wooden spoon, large saucepan, large bowl, jug(s)

clean muslin cloth or tea towel, and bottles for your cordial.

Pick your elderflowers! Choose a sunny day and pick them first thing in the morning if you can. Choose big heads of open flowers and don’t pick them all from the same tree – leave some of those flowers to become berries later in the year! Gently shake the flower heads to get rid of any insects and check the stems for wee beasties like black fly. Don’t shake the flowers so much you get rid of all the pollen though. Put the flower heads in a large bowl.

Heat the water and sugar together in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Meanwhile, remove the lemon zest from the lemons using a vegetable peeler. Cut away and discard the white pith, and slice the lemons up.

Pour the sugary water over the elderflower heads. Be careful! It’s going to be hot.

Add the lemon zest and sliced lemons to the elderflowers and syrup, and stir in the citric acid. Cover and leave it all to infuse for about 24 hours. You should be able to smell the elderflowers!

When you are ready, strain the syrup through a clean piece of muslin or a clean tea towel into a jug. (Be prepared to get sticky  - I do this in stages.) Pour into sterilised bottles (put them through the dishwasher or wash them well in hot, soapy water, rinse, and dry in an oven set in on low temperature). Then you're done! You can drink your cordial straight away. Dilute it with water (still or sparkling) or make a cocktail like the one below ... yum!

One of my (Jodie's) favourite elderflower recipes is for the Hugo cocktail. It is simple delicious. In fact hubby and I love this refreshing summery cocktail so much we served it to our guests on our wedding day. Needless to say it went down a treat and had the mother of the bride in giggles even before dinner had been served! try it, you will love it.