val douest Posted May 21, 2005 Share Posted May 21, 2005 I have a recipe for elderflower cordial which requires citric acid. I can't find this in the local supermarkets - does anyone know if it is available in France, and if so, where? The pharmacy perhaps? Alternatively, does anyone have a recipe for elderflower cordial which uses fresh lemons, or can give me some idea of the rough equivalence for the recipe I have. The elderflower heads are at their best at the moment and it seems a shame to let the season pass.Many thanks,Val Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted May 21, 2005 Share Posted May 21, 2005 To make your own citric acid from bottled lemon juice (not fresh, as the acidity varies) is possible, but really not worth the bother.I found this reicipe, using lemons instead of citric acid, but have not tried it yet, perhaps if it turns out well you could let us all know "You'll need 25 heads of elderflowers (rinse them well first), 2kg sugar, 2 litres water and 2 large sliced lemons. Put the sugar, water and lemon in a pan and heat gently, stirring continuously, until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool then pour over the elderflowers. Leave to stand in a covered container for 2 days then strain and bottle (seal loosely in case of fermentation - bottles with corks are safest!). Store in a cool, dark place. To drink, dilute with three parts chilled mineral water to one part cordial" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare ElizabethClare Posted May 21, 2005 Share Posted May 21, 2005 I found some citric acid - cheaper than in the UK - at the local pharmacy. But you have to ask for it, it's not on display and it is sold loose so you have to say how much you want.I have made cordial with lemon juice and citric acid, but can't remember quantitiesput a tiny bit of syrup in very cold cheap white wine and it makes a lovely aperitif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
val douest Posted May 22, 2005 Author Share Posted May 22, 2005 Many thanks Cathy and Clare: I shall try the Pharmacy tomorrow. There are loads of elderflowers around just now so I may try both recipes and report back,Val Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Hoare<br>All the best<br>Ian<br>La Souvigne Corrèze<br>http:www.souvigne.com Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 Hi Val, Sorry for the delay. If you're anywhere near a winegrowing area, you could always try a local winery supply shop. Apart from Vitamin C (Acide Ascorbique) in industrial quantities and ludicrously cheap prices - brill for using in place of lemon juice for keeping fruit white, they should certainly sell citric acid, as it is used in conjunction with Potassium Metabisulphite for sterilising. The risk is that they may not sell it in small enough quantities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
val douest Posted May 24, 2005 Author Share Posted May 24, 2005 Thanks, Ian, for the winery supplies shop tip; I'll look out for inexpensive supplies of absorbic acid, too. The third pharmacy I tried locally came up with a 250gm pack of citric acid (the other two just looked mystified) so the elderflowers are infusing in syrup as we speak.ValPS You may be able to help with today's post re liquid pectin (see above). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted June 5, 2005 Share Posted June 5, 2005 [quote]I have a recipe for elderflower cordial which requires citric acid. I can't find this in the local supermarkets - does anyone know if it is available in France, and if so, where? The pharmacy perhap...[/quote]a late entry for this topic...I too have decided to make some elderflower cordial as the sureau is coming in flower up here...French recipes use clear vinegar as citric acid (1/5 of a glass for 1 litre of water used in the recipe I checked out)Probably easier to find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted June 5, 2005 Share Posted June 5, 2005 I've been making this for over 20 years but never sucessfully in France as my recipe uses white wine vinegar which I just cannot find here. Clear alcohol vinegar is absolutely a no-no as we found out and there is just nothing else available on local supermarket shelves. It also made our eyes run when it was used as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted June 5, 2005 Share Posted June 5, 2005 I've been making this for over 20 years but never sucessfully in France as my recipe uses white wine vinegar which I just cannot find here. Clear alcohol vinegar is absolutely a no-no as we found out and there is just nothing else available on local supermarket shelves. It also made our eyes run when it was used as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted June 5, 2005 Share Posted June 5, 2005 I've been making this for over 20 years but never sucessfully in France as my recipe uses white wine vinegar which I just cannot find here. Clear alcohol vinegar is absolutely a no-no as we found out and there is just nothing else available on local supermarket shelves. It also made our eyes run when it was used as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Posted June 5, 2005 Share Posted June 5, 2005 Reading post reminded me to look up this receipe using elderflowers, Elderflower Champagne, (although not sure if you can still use the name Champagne nowadays....I used plastic bottles the first time I made it....Not recommend...!2 tablespoons of White Wine1 and a half pounds of sugar1 gallon of cold water2 lemons4 heads of ElderflowersPut all the ingredients into a large bowl except the lemonsSqueeze the lemons into a bowl and quarter them add to other ingredients.Stand for twenty four hours stirring occasionally.Strain and bottle into screw top bottles.The champagne will be ready for drinking in a few days.From Traditional Yorkshire RecipesCollected by Mrs Appleby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 [quote]To make your own citric acid from bottled lemon juice (not fresh, as the acidity varies) is possible, but really not worth the bother. I found this reicipe, using lemons instead of citric acid, but h...[/quote]"You'll need 25 heads of elderflowers (rinse them well first), 2kg sugar, 2 litres water and 2 large sliced lemons. Put the sugar, water and lemon in a pan and heat gently, stirring continuously, until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool then pour over the elderflowers. Leave to stand in a covered container for 2 days then strain and bottle (seal loosely in case of fermentation - bottles with corks are safest!). Store in a cool, dark place. To drink, dilute with three parts chilled mineral water to one part cordial" Well, I tried the recipe above, and the results were pretty good, especially if drunk diluted with a nice cheap sparkling white wine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trishaa<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><EM>Trisha<EM><FONT><P><P><IMG height=198 src="http:www.gifmania.co.ukDisneyWinniejpoohlef.gif" width=133><P><P> <P> Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 After reading this thread it gave me the urge to make some too - so early in June I set about the task and have been delighted with the results. So much so that I wish I'd made more as I'm now running low on it. Next year I'll know better. So now I've got the problem of what to do with the elderberries - don't say make wine, making that in France sounds a bit bizarre when there is so much good wine around! Any other suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 I have got exactly Cathy's recipe for elderflower cordial, BUT it also has 2 ounces of citric acid in it!Last year when I made some in France, I did manage to buy "acide citrique" in a nearby pharmacie. As already stated, it does come loose in France rather than in those small pre-packed boxes, so you have to say how many grammes you need. I wanted to make quite a lot, and the first pharmacie couldn't let me have much. So I had to get the rest from another chemist's. Each one chatted quite a bit about what I wanted it for, and I merrily told them about the cordial, and exactly how it is made. Only later did a friend tell me that drug-addicts use citric acid nowadays to "cut" heroin, or something - so the quizzing was no doubt to screen me for that, rather than out of what I took to be a genuine interest in elderflower cordial!Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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