Well, the festival season is nearly upon us & decent weather here at last.  There was a lot of talk  & enthusiasm amongst my fellow campers last year about making Elderflower Champagne.  Of course I tried to make some & yes it was worth it. Bucket loads of Elderflower champagne for just a few pence a bottle.

To make approx 2 dozen bottles, all you need is the following:-

About 30 Elderflower heads, picked in the prim of their blooming ( End of May- beginning of June is usually a good time ) by July most are starting to die off.

2kg Sugar

6 litres water

4 lemons

2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

Bucket & a muslin cloth or an old, clean t.towel or t.shirt. I used an old dress and parcel tape to secure it to the bucket.

Then Simply:

Heat  4 litres of water & put into your ( spotlessly clean ) bucket along with the sugar. Let the sugar dissolve, then add annother 2 litres of cold water.

Zest & juice the lemons & add to the bucket, add the vinegar & pre rinsed Elderflower heads.

cover with muslin & leave in a cool, airy position for 2-3 days.

Check the brew for signs of fermentation, i.e is it getting foamy? Elderflowers should naturally ferment the brew,but if there are no signs of fermentation add a pinch of yeast at this stage.

Leave the bucket alone for 4 more days, then strain through your muslin & bottle up. Do make sure you sterilise the bottles first! Seal & leave to ferment for 8 more days & serve chilled.

These do not have a long shelf life, but if you drink it within the first few weeks you should enjoy some refreshing, tasty & cheep home brew champagne.