Elderflower Liqueur Recipe (2024)

Capture the taste of summer with my Elderflower Liqueur recipe. Freshly picked elderflowers, vodka and lemon combine to work their magic, et voila, homemade St Germain!

Elderflower liqueur is so easy to make. Once you’ve made a bottle you will be looking forward to next year’s Elderflower season so you can make more. A big bonus is that a litre bottle of good quality vodka costs less than a half litre of St Germain so your liqueur is almost half price. Plus, you have the enjoyment and satisfaction of foraging and making your own delicious liqueur, a win win situation.

Here in the UK and France, elderflower season starts towards the end of May through to mid June. However, this is not set in stone, it’s weather dependent. Some years after a mild winter I have been able to pick flowers at the beginning of May.

I love elderflowers, their tiny delicate blossoms exuding a sweet intoxicating scent which heralds the beginning of summer. I find myself looking forward to the short flowering season for elderflowers and I really enjoy picking and preserving them to have all year round.

How To Pick Elderflowers

If you haven’t foraged for elderflower before, make sure you are picking elderflowers. Elderflowers can sometimes be confused with cow parsley as they do look a little similar, although cow parsley has white flowers and elderflowers are more creamy than white.

Elder grows as a shrub or tree. Take a look at the photo below and you’ll see our elderflower is quite a big tree. You can also see the almost oval shape of the leaves and how dark a green they are. Cow parsley is a member of the carrot family and has fern like leaves reminiscent of carrot tops.

There’s an abundance of elderflower out there ready to be picked and preserved. The beauty of elderflowers is that you don’t need to live in the countryside to get a good harvest. You can find rich pickings in parks, gardens and alongside footpaths in the city too. Wherever you pick, a quick check to get the landowner’s permission is generally a good idea.

• Choose a tree that is free from pollution: in the city you’re more likely to have the problem of roadside exhaust fumes and in the countryside insecticide spraying can be an issue.
• Another tip is not to pick lower than a labradoodle can raise its back leg.
• Take a pair of scissors with you along with a mesh bag or basket. Don’t use a plastic bag or container as the blooms are delicate and an airless container will make them sweat and turn brown.
• Snip off the flower heads with as little stalk as possible so the plant is not damaged. Remember to leave plenty of flowers on the tree, some for fellow foragers and wildlife and some so they can turn into fruit for later in the Autumn.
• Elderflower are best picked when the buds are freshly open on a warm, dry, sunny day. Pick just before noon for the best scent.

What do I need?

• 1 x 1 Litre (1 US quart) sterilised Le Parfait jar, Kilner jar, Mason jar or similar. Don’t use a container which holds more than a litre. There should be no room for air at the top of the vessel once the litre of vodka is poured in with the elderflowers. If there is an airspace the petals will turn brown.
• 1 x 1 litre (1 US quart) glass bottle with cork or screw top to bottle the liqueur when its strained. Alternatively, you could decant the liqueur into smaller bottles.
• 20 large elderflower heads. To ensure you infuse maximum flavour and scent into your liqueur, elderflowers are best picked and used within two hours.
• 1 litre vodka. It’s best to use vodka because of its ‘neutral’ taste. But if you’re a gin lover, elderflower gin is delicious. You don’t need to go for the massively expensive brands of vodka although I would avoid the cheaper end of the market. Whichever brand you use, it does need to be 40% strength, 80% proof.
• 1 lemon, zested into strips. Use an unwaxed lemon or give the lemon a good scrub in warm water to remove the wax.
• White granulated or caster sugar and water to make a sugar syrup.

How to make Elderflower Liqueur

Elderflowers are best picked and used within two hours to capture maximum flavour and scent.

Discard any flowereheads with brown flowers and then give each remaining flowerhead a good shake to get rid of any creepy crawlies.

Snip the tiny flower heads off the thick stalks, leaving only the thin stalks attached to the flowers. It’s the flowers that contain all the flavour and scent but the stems contain a toxic compound and can cause stomach upset in some people.

Place in your sterilised jar and top with the lemon zest, making sure you have completely covered the flowers. The lemon zest will help keep the flowers submerged under the vodka.

Pour the vodka right to the limit of the jar. This should prevent the flowers from turning brown but don’t worry if you end up with a few brown flowers. These won’t ruin the taste but you might have a slightly darker liqueur.

Place in a cool, dark place for two to four weeks.

I like to make Elderflower Liqueur by adding the sugar in syrup form at the straining stage. You can add the sugar at the initial flower and vodka stage but I find extracting all the flavour from the perfumed elderflowers before adding sugar tends to deliver a purer taste.

Also, it’s easier to gauge a sense of the finished product and how sweet you might like it to be if you add sugar to taste after the elderflowers have worked their magic on the vodka.

Strain the elderflower, lemon and vodka liquid through a muslin cloth into a bowl.

Add half the sugar syrup and taste for sweetness before adding the remaining syrup if required. I use all of the syrup and I find it isn’t overly sweet.

Decant into clean sterilised bottles and leave for two months in a cool dark place to mature.

If you really can’t wait, it is okay to drink straight after bottling but it’s definitely worth waiting the two months so the flavour can develop.

How to serve

• We love Elderflower Liqueur with sparkling water and a slice of lemon as the perfect summer drink.
• For a special treat, why not try some with champagne ? Now that really is a treat.
• Use as the base for a co*cktail.
• Chilled as an after dinner digestive.

How long does it last?

Elderflower Liqueur will keep indefinitely. As it ages it will darken to a deeper amber colour.

Sweet Elderberry Vinegar

Pin myElderflower Liqueur Recipe

I’m entering myElderflower Liqueur Recipeinto a few challenges this month:

• Credit Crunch Munch created by Camilla from Fab Food 4 All & Helen over at Fuss Free Flavours & hosted this month by Lisa over atLovely Appetite.
• The Teatime Treats Challenge hostedby Karen over atLavender & Lovageand Janie atThe Hedgecombers, hosted this month by Karen.
• Simple And In Season hosted by Katie over at Feeding Boys.

And linking to:

• Fiesta Fridays