Put sugar & water in large pan; warm to dissolve sugar.
Add & dissolve citric acid & Camden tabs... then thin-sliced lemons & elderflower. Cover & leave overnight (up to a couple of days)... the smell is fantastic!
Sieve through muslin, then to sterilised bottles. Best stored in fridge (at least, the coolest place you've got). Freezes well in underfilled, top-loose, plastic bottles.
To serve, simply dilute to taste.
* elder heads freeze well: freeze 25 heads (or more) in bag; adding to hot sugar syrup straight from freezer stops'em turning brown.
* Campden tabs used in home brewing to kill bacteria & inhibit wild yeasts – adding seems to allow cordial to keep a tad longer.
Look what I made...
Wash rhubarb well, chop to inch chunks & bung in large saucepan.
Peel, chop & add thumb-sized bit o'ginger per 1kg rhubarb - not essential but adds gentle heat to finished cordial.
Add 100ml cold water per 1kg rhubarb.
Boil covered, then let simmer until soft & mushy: keep an eye on things, it don't take long & might catch on pan base.
Line large sieve / colander with muslin (tights or tea towel), place over large bowl, then fruit mush goes in to drain overnight.
Once drained, add 500g sugar per litre & warm slowly until dissolved.
Check sweetness: you can slacken wi'wee bit o'water; you can add tad more sugar.
8. Pour to sterilised bottles, cap firmly: it'll keep in cool place for 3 months.
