Source: Elderflower Champagne Recipe

Elderflower Champagne

Course Drinks
Cuisine British
Keyword Champagne, Elderflower
Servings 3 bottles

Ingredients

  • 300g g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine
  • 2 lemons zested and sliced
  • 15 elderflower heads
  • 2 l water
  • 5 g champagne yeast optional

Instructions

  • Pick your elderflowers and leave them outside on a tea towel (in the shade), so that any potential bugs crawl away. Don't wash them, as this would damage the pollen and the natural yeast bacteria.
  • Heat the water and sugar in a pan and stir until the sugar has disolved. Leave to cool and then transfer to a plastic container with a lid.
  • Add the lemon zest, vinegar and the lemon slices. Stir slowly and loosely close with a lid.
  • Leave to ferment in a room temperature for 48 hrs and check regularly for any signs of fermentation/yeast activity. Your elderflower mixture should start to bubble within 48 hrs. Open the lid and stir couple of times a day to introduce more new air bacteria.
  • If you don't see any bubbles within 48 hrs, you can add some champagne yeast. This is optional.
  • Pour the elderflower liquid through a muslin cloth (or a fine strainer) to a bottle or a fresh plastic container leaving about 5-6 cm (2 inch) from the top to allow for further fermentation. Loosely cover with a lid. Discard the elderflower heads.
  • Leave to ferment for another 3-4 days before bottling the elderflower champagne to smaller glass bottles leaving at least 3 cm gap from the lid/bottle stopper. Check every day to let any gas pressure out.
  • Leave for further 5-7 days to develop in the cold environment (or longer), before chilling in the fridge and enjoying your elderflower champagne with your summer picnic or garden party.

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