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Elderflower Champagne Recipe (6 Litres)
marko
Administrator Posts: 76
Our tried and tested recipe is similar to the version used on Channel 4's River Cottage TV Programme. Elderflower champagne is a clear, sparkling drink that is mildly alcoholic. It is easy to prepare and only takes four weeks to mature but is better left to condition. It can be left a year or more and will continue to condition.
As the name suggests, one of the primary ingredients are the white flowers of the Elder tree. These trees are quite common in the UK, and if there aren't any in your garden, they are often found around fields, squares, schools and other open spaces. Make sure that you get the right tree though and if you are unsure do some research to make sure that you get the correct tree! The trees themselves are coarse and shrubby, with large flat heads of creamy white flowers in early summer and clusters of reddish-purple berries in the autumn.
This recipe is based on making 6 litres. To make larger batches, increase the quantities in proportion (apart from the yeast which you don't need more of).
Ingredients
This makes about 6 litres of elderflower champagne:
5-8 large heads of elderflowers - make sure that they are fully open, preferably facing the sun. The more elderflowers used will increase the flavour. Around 5 is generally best so that the taste isn't too strong.
600g of sugar
2 lemons
4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
6 litres of cold water
Champagne yeast
Fermenting time: Approx 1 week
Maturing Time: 4 weeks plus
Method
1.Wash the lemons and use a potato-peeler to peel the lemon rind off as thinly as possible. Remove any insects, leaves or other unwanted objects from the elderflowers.
2.Squeeze the lemons and put the juice into the fermenting vessel along with the lemon rind and flowers.
3.Add the sugar and the wine vinegar. Be careful not to crush the flower heads too much with the sugar.
4.Pour on the water. Sprinkle a sachet of yeast on the surface of the liquid. (Please note, there might be enough natural yeast present to start the fermentation without yeast. We recommend using it however to ensure a complete fermentation.) Put the lid on the fermenting vessel and leave to stand for approx 5-7 days or until the majority of the bubbling and fizzing has ceased. Stir gently every other day with a sterilised spoon.
5.Sterilise the bottles, ideally with steriliser. After using sterilising powder, rinse the bottles afterwards several times with cold water so that the chemicals don't kill the yeast in the champagne mixture and so that no chemical taste is imparted.
6.Place the vessel higher than the bottles. Use syphon tube to transfer the mixture through a funnel (with strainer fitted) and into bottles. Take care not to disturb the mixture and avoid transferring any debris. The less sediment you pick up, the better the end result.
7.Once all the bottles are full, put the caps or swing tops on firmly and place somewhere not too warm or too cold. Try and leave a gap of around 1½ inches between the liquid and top of bottle. A garage shelf is ideal is ideal to store.
After four weeks the champagne is ready for drinking. However, the taste does improve with time and can be left for a year or more. It is probably best to leave it for six months to a year to mature, as this means the full taste will have developed, yet without any fizz escaping. Elderflowers start to appear in April and last until June or early July, this does vary from year to year and in different parts of the UK.
Open bottles gradually to avoid the contents spraying out. It is advisable to chill the champagne in the fridge before drinking.
Important Note: Take care when storing bottles of Elderflower champagne, especially when using glass bottles. Our glass bottles are strong and shoudn't explode, but varying factors such as heat and too much added sugar, along with the nature of brewing which is unpredicable, can result in unexpected breakages. We recommend storing in a garage with the bottles in a box or container.
As the name suggests, one of the primary ingredients are the white flowers of the Elder tree. These trees are quite common in the UK, and if there aren't any in your garden, they are often found around fields, squares, schools and other open spaces. Make sure that you get the right tree though and if you are unsure do some research to make sure that you get the correct tree! The trees themselves are coarse and shrubby, with large flat heads of creamy white flowers in early summer and clusters of reddish-purple berries in the autumn.
This recipe is based on making 6 litres. To make larger batches, increase the quantities in proportion (apart from the yeast which you don't need more of).
Ingredients
This makes about 6 litres of elderflower champagne:
5-8 large heads of elderflowers - make sure that they are fully open, preferably facing the sun. The more elderflowers used will increase the flavour. Around 5 is generally best so that the taste isn't too strong.
600g of sugar
2 lemons
4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
6 litres of cold water
Champagne yeast
Fermenting time: Approx 1 week
Maturing Time: 4 weeks plus
Method
1.Wash the lemons and use a potato-peeler to peel the lemon rind off as thinly as possible. Remove any insects, leaves or other unwanted objects from the elderflowers.
2.Squeeze the lemons and put the juice into the fermenting vessel along with the lemon rind and flowers.
3.Add the sugar and the wine vinegar. Be careful not to crush the flower heads too much with the sugar.
4.Pour on the water. Sprinkle a sachet of yeast on the surface of the liquid. (Please note, there might be enough natural yeast present to start the fermentation without yeast. We recommend using it however to ensure a complete fermentation.) Put the lid on the fermenting vessel and leave to stand for approx 5-7 days or until the majority of the bubbling and fizzing has ceased. Stir gently every other day with a sterilised spoon.
5.Sterilise the bottles, ideally with steriliser. After using sterilising powder, rinse the bottles afterwards several times with cold water so that the chemicals don't kill the yeast in the champagne mixture and so that no chemical taste is imparted.
6.Place the vessel higher than the bottles. Use syphon tube to transfer the mixture through a funnel (with strainer fitted) and into bottles. Take care not to disturb the mixture and avoid transferring any debris. The less sediment you pick up, the better the end result.
7.Once all the bottles are full, put the caps or swing tops on firmly and place somewhere not too warm or too cold. Try and leave a gap of around 1½ inches between the liquid and top of bottle. A garage shelf is ideal is ideal to store.
After four weeks the champagne is ready for drinking. However, the taste does improve with time and can be left for a year or more. It is probably best to leave it for six months to a year to mature, as this means the full taste will have developed, yet without any fizz escaping. Elderflowers start to appear in April and last until June or early July, this does vary from year to year and in different parts of the UK.
Open bottles gradually to avoid the contents spraying out. It is advisable to chill the champagne in the fridge before drinking.
Important Note: Take care when storing bottles of Elderflower champagne, especially when using glass bottles. Our glass bottles are strong and shoudn't explode, but varying factors such as heat and too much added sugar, along with the nature of brewing which is unpredicable, can result in unexpected breakages. We recommend storing in a garage with the bottles in a box or container.
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Comments
Just a few questions though... What is the clarity like on the finished champagne? And would you recommend this as an alternative?
Thanks,
Zak