Pure Camomile and Elderflower Cordial Base
A small batch of pale gold camomile cordial, lifted with lemon and elderflower, ready to lengthen with soda, top up with hot water, or splash into fizz.
This is a small batch of floral cordial built on Loyd Pure Camomile, brightened with lemon and a measure of elderflower cordial stirred in once everything has cooled. Camomile and elderflower are old hedgerow neighbours; both flower across June in this country and both lean soft and floral, so they sit together very comfortably. The elderflower rounds the camomile out and gives the bottle more depth than the flower could manage on its own.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Pure Camomile and Elderflower Cordial Base recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/camomile tea/pure camomile and elderflower cordial base/
A couple of points make the difference. Keep the water just off the boil rather than fully boiling, since camomile can scorch and turn bitter at a rolling boil, and steep the bags covered so the aroma does not drift off in the steam. Stir the sugar in while the concentrate is hot, but hold the lemon and the elderflower cordial back until it has cooled to warm, or you will cook the freshness straight out of them. Use a proper bottled cordial such as Belvoir or Bottlegreen, not a sweetened squash.
You'll need
- 4 Loyd Pure Camomile pyramid tea bags
- 350ml filtered water at 95°C (just off the boil)
- 140g caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 40ml elderflower cordial (Belvoir, Bottlegreen; proper cordial, not a sweetened squash)
- 1 sterilised 400ml glass bottle with a tight seal
- For each long drink: 50ml cordial in a tall glass over cubed ice, top with 250ml chilled sparkling water, garnish with a thin lemon slice and a small mint sprig
- For each hot drink: 50ml cordial in a mug topped with 200ml just off boil water
- For a non classic spritz: 50ml cordial in a flute topped with 100ml chilled prosecco
Method
- Boil the kettle, switch it off and give it about half a minute to settle to just off the boil. Put all four Loyd Pure Camomile bags in a heatproof jug, pour over 350ml of the water, cover with a saucer and leave to steep for eight minutes.
- Squeeze the bags gently against the side of the jug, then lift them out. Stir in the caster sugar while the liquid is still hot, until it has fully dissolved.
- Let it cool until it is just warm to the touch, then stir in the lemon juice and the elderflower cordial. Adding them now rather than hot keeps both of them fresh and lively.
- Pass the cordial through a fine sieve into a sterilised bottle, seal and keep in the fridge. It settles and improves after a day and stays good for about three weeks.
- To serve, pour 50ml over ice in a tall glass and top with chilled sparkling water, with a slice of lemon and a little mint. For a warming version, stir 50ml into a mug of hot water. For something celebratory, drop 50ml into a glass of cold prosecco.
- If your elderflower is on the sweet side, hold back 20g of the sugar and taste before bottling.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Loyd Pure Camomile, 40 Tea Bags 56g
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