How to make elderflower cordial

I have a complicated relationship with elderflower cordial. I love taking ingredients that have short seasons, preserving and squirrelling them away for future enjoyment. And I’m cheap, so the fact that the main component comes from the hedgerow is appealing. And it’s fun! It is a little like making a potion, dunking whole heads of flowers into an enormous pan and then leaving it to steep for days, before bottling it. Magical. But the truth is, I really don’t like drinking the cordial. It is too floral, too perfumed, too green. It’s just not for me.

Regardless, when the tiny white flowers bloom and the hedgerows are fragrant with their distinctive scent, I go picking, because I love elderflower when it is used as an ingredient in sweet dishes – and the best way to deliver that distinctive flavour is through cordial. So each year, I make the cordial, partly because those I love love it, and partly because a generous slosh can transform any number of dishes, diffused through fruit or sponge or cream.