Elderflower cordial.

You can find citric acid in the baking section of many supermarkets.

Sarnia - foraging is back in fashion among young people. I have 2 sons who forage for mushrooms, seaweed, shellfish, elderflowers as well as blackberries etc. There are courses available involving foraging and then cooking and eating the produce.

Just as an aside Elder is absolutely no use if you want a decent hedge by layering, because it doesn’t respond to cutting like other trees/shrubs. It neither gets bushy or twiggy - just gets wider and shades its neighbouring hedgefellows.

Bit of useless information😄😄

NotSpaghetti

You can find citric acid in the baking section of many supermarkets.

That’s interesting. Last time I tried to buy citric acid none of the supermarkets sold it. I went to a pharmacy and was asked why I wanted it. I was surprised as I had no trouble getting it for years. I said it was for making elderflower cordial and the assistant went out the back, spoke to the pharmacist and then said I could buy some.

I asked what the problem was and was told it was because junkies use it to enlarge their veins before injecting. I was shocked.

I buy citric acid on Amazon - can’t get it anywhere locally now. I make elderflower cordial in the summer, elderberry cordial in the autumn and also sloe gin. Last year was a bumper year for sloes. Our elderflowers are not quite ready here yet.

Moth62

Where would I buy citric acid, please?

A pharmacy or Amazon

I made elderflower champagne and it tasted nice but wasn’t fizzy. I think it was because I didn’t leave enough air at the top of the bottles. Or it could be because I left too much? I can’t remember. I absolutely love seeing elderflower growing in the countryside. A beautiful native tree.

Well Primrose53 I had no idea it wasn't on the baking shelf.
I do buy it occasionally so thought it was still there!
Pharmacy now then!

I have a large rural garden and there are elder trees (definitely not ground elder) in the hedges on every side. None planted deliberately, all spread by pigeons eating elderberries along the lane and excreting the seeds. I do use a few flowers, and berries, but I hate the wretched trees, and the mess when the berries drop, they certainly count as weeds in my eyes.

Flowers need to be in the sun, those facing north and shaded all day smell of cat pee!

Sounds delicious.
We used to make it occasionally.
My elderflower source disappeared under rubble about two years ago.
The house was bought and renovated and the garden has disappeared.
And no one is living there.

Went for a long walk yesterday through the countryside and could not help stopping to sniff the elder flowers which are in full bloom at the moment. So beautiful.

Moth, my Mum made elderflower
' champagne ' happy memories and I agree it was delicious 😋!