ST201905

This is one of the great delicacies

of the hedgerow year, and you have

a brief moment in which to make

it. Real elderflower champagne

makes use of wild yeasts on the

flowers themselves, so it’s highly

unpredictable – you may get a few

civilised bubbles or an explosive

froth – but it’s all the more fun for it.

For this, it’s best to use glass bottles

with a stopper that you can release

occasionally to prevent too much

pressure building up.

Makes about 4 litres

2 litres boilingwater

650g sugar

2 litres coldwater

Zest andskinsof 4 lemons

2 tbsp whitewinevineg

15 headselderflow

5g champag

1 Takea la

sugar andt

dissolve.Ad

juice, zest,vine

and covertheb

2 After threedays,

started tofrothup,

3 Once ithasbeenfe

days, sievethrougha

sterilisedbucket.Allowt

to settle fora fewhours,th

off into swing-top-stopper

bottles orscrew-topplasticb

It shouldbereadyto drinkaft

a week, butyoucanleaveit to m

longer, providedyoureleasethe

pressureona weeklybasis.

AGI

a

ast(ifneed

bucketandtipin the

e boilingwaterandstirto

hecoldwater,lemon

ar andflowerheads

et withmusl

eckit; if it hasn’t

theyeast.

tingforsix

slinintoa

e sedimen

n syphon

les.

out

Elderf lower

champagne

Bang, pop or whimper?
Using elderflower’s
natural (unpredictable)
yeasts is par t of the
excitement when you
ferment your own fizz