Elder-flower juice – A simple recipe for the right summer refreshment.

Elder-flower juice is a taste of childhood, meaning I do not remember any other domestic juice from that time, except for this. The women in Croatia would pick elder-flowers just for making juice, while today its application has been widespread.

I grew up under the hill of Psunj, remembering that my grandmother and her friends at that time always went up hill, on some dirt roads, to find flowers that have not been polluted and strait out of nature. Nothing has changed today, I have that happiness, so for the fragrant flowers I can just walk up a hill.

It is important that you pick the flowers while sunny days, that the flowers are all flourishing and that they are bigger, if the flowers are small, then instead of 1 flower use 2 smaller ones for the recipe. Also, keep in mind that you do not have tiny black bugs behind the flower because you do not want them in your juice, and it’s very hard to wash them so it is better pick clean flowers from the start.

I made the juice with lemon acid, I like that acidic flavor, because I like to enjoy the juice and in a different way, served as a non-alcoholic cocktail, retro in a modern way.

My bottles are ready for drinking, but also for giving. I always poured some of the juice into smaller bottles so I can give them to friends and family.

I hope you try it too! Enjoy the summer that is coming!

Ingredients:

Ingredients for 4.5 l (19 cups) of juice:

1. 30 larger elder-flower
2. 3 l water – 13 cups
3. 3 kg of brown sugar – 17 cups
4. 1 bag of citric acid for elder-flower syrup or 20-30 g of common citric acid powder – 1 oz of citric powder
5. 3 lemons and 3 oranges (sliced)

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, mix water and sugar, put on fire and boil until the sugar is dissolved for a few minutes.
2. Slowly chill and soak in lukewarm water the lemon acid, and then add washed elder-flower.
3. Leave it in a pot for 24 hours.
4. After 24 hours pour the juice through the sieve and the muslin cloth.
5. Pour the juice into clean, sterilized bottles.
6. I drink it recently with mineral water, menthol and lime as a summer cocktail.

Remark:

You can store syrup/juice in a basement or in a cold place for up to two years. After opening the bottle with the juice keep it refrigerate so it doesn’t spoil.

Bottle sterilization:

1. Heat the oven to 100^oC and let it warm. – 212^oF
2. Lower the oven grate to the lowest level.
3. Pour water in large bowl to cover the bottom, place the washed bottles in the bowl with water and put it all together in the oven.
4. Dryer in a closed oven while on the bottles you no longer see water drops – about 10 minutes.