Elderflower Liqueur

Submitted by Rita1652

"If you are lucky enough to have a tree or know where to pick elderflowers give this a try. Pick flowers right after dew is dry from them and before the heat of day removes the fragrance. Morning is when they're at their most fragrant, Any of the top layer of flowers will oxidize from contact with air, turning brown. It's fine you can leave it be or place a weight on them to keep submerged, Do expect the liqueur to darken as it ages into a deep amber. This is OK."

 

• Ready In: 20mins
• Ingredients: 4
• Serves: 30

ingredients

• elderberry flowers, enough to loosely fill a quart mason jar shake bugs off and removing all toxic stems
• vodka (or more) or Everclear alcohol, 100-proof (or more)
• 1⁄4 - 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 3 -4 lemon verbena leaves (6/10/2014 I added and with lemon slices to keep the flowers under the Spyritus 96%alc.)

directions

1. Place flowers in the jar and covered the flowers in vodka filling so no air can get to the flowers. Close jar.
2. Optional place a clean lid from a slightly smaller jar upside down on top of the flowers to weigh them down under the vodka.
3. Place in a cool dark spot.
4. Give the jar a shake daily for at least a week up to a month.
5. Strain a couple times the second using an unbleached coffee filter.
6. Add sugar to how sweet you want it.
7. Place jar in the bar and shake it from time to time until the sugar has dissolved. When all dissolved enjoy room temperature or chilled in a Cordial glass.

Reviews

[alex.fairfield85]

Great easy recipe, but I did not know when to add the lemon verbena or the lemon slices. Is that during the extraction in vodka period? or afterward when the liqueur is strained and the sugar is added? Many thanks