25-05-2022, 11:12 AM
28-05-2022, 06:10 PM
Drained the last of my elderflower from a barrel. It came out lovely and clear but tasted like elderflower vinegar! Do you reckon I could use it as elderflower vinegar? It has an elderflower aroma and is like a very weak vinegar,not nasty at all, but will I poison myself!
29-05-2022, 09:19 AM
You'll be fine to use it as vinegar, Vinny - if it has the slightest bit of alcohol in it, you should be fine.
13-06-2022, 05:46 PM
13-06-2022, 06:53 PM
(13-06-2022, 05:46 PM)Small chilli Wrote: [ -> ]Made my champagne todayElderflowers aren't fully out here, just a few on an odd bush.
15-06-2022, 06:15 PM
For information purposes only. I have just bought a load of unwaxed lemons, Variety Verna from Spain. I bought them at Lidl becaus ehey looked large and appetising.The worrying thing for me is that the label says treated with Imazalil and Fosetyl-AL.
I have looked these up and they are both carciogenic fungiscides! Appaently you can only get rid of 30% of the fungiscide by blanching and scrubbing.
Apart from the elderflower champagne I always have the juice of two lemons first thing each morning which is slightly worrying? I was blitzing the lemons and eating the pulp but found I couldn't get away with the bittyness.
I wonder whether boiling the peel then adding it to the juice (with ginger and cinnamon added) could minimise the toxicity?
I have looked these up and they are both carciogenic fungiscides! Appaently you can only get rid of 30% of the fungiscide by blanching and scrubbing.
Apart from the elderflower champagne I always have the juice of two lemons first thing each morning which is slightly worrying? I was blitzing the lemons and eating the pulp but found I couldn't get away with the bittyness.
I wonder whether boiling the peel then adding it to the juice (with ginger and cinnamon added) could minimise the toxicity?
20-06-2022, 06:54 PM
Bottled my elderflower champagne today. Got 10 1.75lt bottles.
20-06-2022, 07:11 PM
The bush I usually visit seems to be coming into full flower so I need to get cracking! Just going to use the barrel this year as it worked fine last year.
23-06-2022, 04:56 PM
Right, just been out for a walk with Kato and the elderflower bush I use is in full bloom so tomorrow I will gather the flowers It just so happens that I have a strawverry glut just now. I have froze some with sugar and alciohol, the bucket of strawbs I have now I will turn into jam, and I wondered whether tomorrows picking I should add to the elderflower champagne? I intend blitzing tomorrows harvest in food processer and adding to the elderflowers,sugar and lemons.
This will hopefully give me pink elderflower champagne with a hint of strawberry?
This will hopefully give me pink elderflower champagne with a hint of strawberry?
25-06-2022, 07:00 PM
Finally got my elderflower and strawberry champagne made today. Didn't use a recipe just blagged it. Filled my barrel with water and tipped that in large bowl. Blitzed three large lemons and maybe a pound of strawberries in the food processor. Added to bowl. Boiled a kettle full of water, about 1.5 litre and added it to 2lb of sugar in another bowl. Mixed it all up then added half a carrier bag of elderflower blooms.I have a few placcy bottles stashed so any extra will go in those.
I just hope the addition of straberries keeps the champagne pink and that it doesn't go brown. We shall see, but it will get drunk either way.
I just hope the addition of straberries keeps the champagne pink and that it doesn't go brown. We shall see, but it will get drunk either way.