Do you know elderflower champagne, also called elderflower sparkling ?
It is a 100% natural drink made from elderflowers.
This sparkling recipe is super easy to make! Anyone can make it easily at home.
The only constraint is to pick the elderflowers at the right time. That is to say in May and June.
This is when elderflowers grow in nature.
You will easily recognize them:these white flowers look like large umbrellas facing the sky.
Here is the elderberry champagne recipe that all your friends will love :
- 10 black elderberry umbrellas
- 5 liters of water
- 350 g cane sugar
- 3 organic lemons
- 1 strainer
- 1 large salad bowl
- 1 lid
- 1 funnel
- empty bottles
1. Remove the stems from the elderflowers, as they are bitter.
2. Put the flowers in a large salad bowl.
3. Pour the water over it.
4. Squeeze the lemons and pour the resulting juice into the salad bowl.
5. Add the sugar.
6. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
7. Cover the bowl with a tea towel.
8. Place the bowl in a bright place.
9. Leave to macerate for 2 to 5 days so that it ferments, stirring every day.
10. Fermentation is complete when you smell fermentation or the mixture is slightly bubbly.
11. Strain the mixture into a clean container using a fine strainer.
12. Pour it into bottles that close with a valve.
13. Leave the bottles in the light for at least a week, while the carbonation takes place.
There you go, your homemade elderflower champagne is already ready :-)
Easy, fast and economical, right?
No worries, this natural drink contains no traces of sulphites and the alcohol content is low.
Remember to serve this champagne very chilled so that it is refreshing!
This very easy to make drink replaces cider very well.
The elderberry grows in the countryside, at the edge of the woods and along the hedges.
You will also find it in abandoned and uncultivated places.
If possible, avoid picking it along roadsides or near fields treated with pesticides.
- If the weather is hot, the fermentation is done in 2 days, otherwise count 5 days maximum.
- When you pour your mixture into the bottle, always leave a 3 to 4 cm vacuum.
- Empty lemonade bottles are perfect for bottling this elderberry bubbly.
- If the weather allows it, expose your bottles to the sun while the carbonation takes place.
- You can keep your bottles cool for 6-8 months.
- Don't overdo your elderberry champagne, as it has purgative properties!
Did you know that elderflowers have multiple uses?
For example, you can prepare elderflower vinegar:to do this, simply follow the same recipe, but let the fermentation take longer.
The white flowers of the elderberry can also be used to make syrup, sweet and sour sauces or even wine. They can also flavor lemonade.
As for the black elderberries, they can be used to make jellies, syrups or jams.
As it is a good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, elderberry is also an effective remedy for treating colds, angina and hay fever.
And if you make manure out of it, it will help you chase away moles from the garden!
