Perfect troutpurpletigronMay 31 2003, 23:00:12 UTC
I cooked up a storm yesterday too (elderflower cordial, elderflower sorbet, spicy apple crumble, chocolate doughnut (yes, one large one!), roast duck with trimmings...).
You do not say - how was the wine? Is it actually fortified like port? It sounds like an amazing cellarful!
Re: Perfect troutcrazysophJune 1 2003, 00:35:57 UTC
Ooooh, recipes?? Elderflower cordial and sorbet, yes! Yes! (Of course, the way I see these things, I hold off on using elderflowers, because of course, they don't have the chance to become elderberries if I do that...)
I honestly don't remember if this one was fortified - there were two vats, the half-full one didn't bear any notation of having been fortified, while the full one did. I didn't witness (knowingly, anyway) from which vat dear_hubby drew my "quality control" glass, but I'm suspecting that, yes, it was not the fortified one. But still rather potent: these yeasts are high-tolerance, and ferment out at around 18%, near as we can figure at home. (And occasionally confirmed by a local friend at the State lab, when we can bear to part with a whole glassful for laboratory analysis
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Re: Perfect troutpurpletigronJune 1 2003, 01:38:51 UTC
I think that the secret is, to range more widely to collect the elderflowers, and pick reasonably sparingly, especially at the end of the flowering season. To make elderflower cordial (or sorbet, which is basically frozen cordial :-) you only need perhaps 20 large umbels of elderflowers:
Boil 1.5 l of water, pour into a large mixing bowl, cover and allow to go cold. Take about 20 large elderflower heads*, cut off the larger stems and drop the flowers into the water. Add up to 1.5kg of sugar**, up to 50g of cream of tartar or tartaric acid***, and the zest and juice of one lemonStir, cover, and put in a cool place for 24 hours (stirring occasionally). Strain and either bottle, or freeze :-) Drink diluted to taste. (You can also produce a fermented elderflower `champagne', if you have strong bottles, but I don't have the method for this
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Comments 5
You do not say - how was the wine? Is it actually fortified like port? It sounds like an amazing cellarful!
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I honestly don't remember if this one was fortified - there were two vats, the half-full one didn't bear any notation of having been fortified, while the full one did. I didn't witness (knowingly, anyway) from which vat dear_hubby drew my "quality control" glass, but I'm suspecting that, yes, it was not the fortified one. But still rather potent: these yeasts are high-tolerance, and ferment out at around 18%, near as we can figure at home. (And occasionally confirmed by a local friend at the State lab, when we can bear to part with a whole glassful for laboratory analysis ( ... )
Reply
Boil 1.5 l of water, pour into a large mixing bowl, cover and allow to go cold. Take about 20 large elderflower heads*, cut off the larger stems and drop the flowers into the water. Add up to 1.5kg of sugar**, up to 50g of cream of tartar or tartaric acid***, and the zest and juice of one lemonStir, cover, and put in a cool place for 24 hours (stirring occasionally). Strain and either bottle, or freeze :-) Drink diluted to taste. (You can also produce a fermented elderflower `champagne', if you have strong bottles, but I don't have the method for this ( ... )
Reply
Crazy(great recipe instructions! Thank you!!!)Soph
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