20+ Elderflower Recipes: cordial, liqueur, tea, jelly, cake + more! (2024)

FAQs

Is elderflower cordial the same as elderflower liqueur? ›

DIY elderflower cordial (syrup) is versatile and significantly less expensive than prepared elderflower liqueur (like St. Germain). Cordial can be customized with dried or fresh elderflowers, different fruit juices, or liquor. Citric acid boosts acidity and extends shelf-life.

Elderflower has a woodsy and floral taste, and their sweetness comes out when elderflower is cooked. Photo courtesy of Shadi via Unsplash. Compared to elderflower, elderberry has a more intense taste: woodsy and floral, with a dark flavor that can be bitter and earthy when the fruit is consumed raw.

Elderflower is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when used short-term as medicine, or in small amounts as part of a combination product containing elderflower, sorrel, gentian root, verbena, and cowslip flower (SinuComp, Sinupret). The combination product can cause digestive system upset and sometimes allergic skin rash.

However, the elderflowers' natural yeasts will no longer function so you'll have to add brewing yeast where relevant. Uses for dried elderflowers include wines, fizzes, teas and cordials.

The essence of up to one thousand elderflowers can be found in each Belle Epoque-style bottle of St-Germain! You can substitute St-Germain with Giffard Fleur de Sureau Sauvage, St. Elder, and RoomeR Elderflower Aperitif.

This quarantees the easy mixability with sparkling wine/Champagne, or enjoyed chilled by itself!

St‑Germain is a French liqueur made with fresh elderflowers, hand-picked once a year in the late spring.

Elderflower liqueurs are delicately flavoured, aromatic and floral; they mix brilliantly with pretty much every spirit, both white and brown, even combining well with the strong flavours of mezcal, peated whisky and pisco. Elderflower tends to mix better with light-coloured fruits such as pear, apple and white grapes.

Sambucus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly referred to as elder, elderflower or elderberry.

Stay on the safe side and avoid use. Diabetes: There is a concern that elderflower might lower blood sugar levels. If taken with diabetes medications, it might make blood sugar levels go too low.

Does elderflower cordial go bad? ›

This means that once opened, the cordials should be stored in the fridge. They will eventually start to ferment after a couple of weeks at room temperature, although we find that they're so delicious they don't usually hang around that long.

The only downside of elderflower cordial is that it uses a lot of sugar- you just have to think that it is a lot better for you than fizzy drinks (maybe).

Elder Flower is truly a protector and soother–its cooling properties work to quell irritation, offering solace to irritated skin. Its naturally calming properties help reduce redness and relieve discomfort, guiding skin back to a state of tranquility and diminishing the visual signs of irritation.

Elderberry and elderflower actually come from the same plant, and represent its different growth stages. While consuming raw elderberries or other parts of the bark or leaves can be poisonous, the elderflower is an aromatic, light blossom that creates a floral and balanced flavor.

In general, it is not advised to eat elderflowers or elderberries raw. Some people get a stomach upset and there is a mild toxicity. That is why traditionally, elderflowers are infused not eaten and elderberries are cooked (to make syrup, wine or pontack sauce).

Liqueurs And Cordials

Liqueurs are basically liquors that have been flavored and sweetened. The term is interchangeable with “cordial,” except in the U.K., where cordial can also just refer to a sweet, non-alcoholic liquid.

It's quite similar to St. Germain in the end, the most notable difference being the addition of 5% more alcohol to St. Elder, which makes this expression slightly punchier.

St‑Germain works well in a variety of co*cktails, including the classic St‑Germain Spritz. Bartenders love our elderflower liqueur for its versatility and its ability to elevate any co*cktail whether it's a Gin & Tonic, Margarita, or even an Old Fashioned.