Elderberry Cordial
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups dried elderberries
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 stick cinnamon, crushed
- 1/4 cup dried rosehips
- 2 tablespoons dried orange peel
- About 3 cups brandy
- Honey, to taste (maple syrup or other sweetener can be substituted)
Instructions
- **Supplies Needed**
• Quart-sized glass jar with tight-fitting lid
• Strainer
• Funnel
• Cheesecloth
• Decorative bottle for storage
- Add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon, rosehips and orange peel to a quart-sized glass jar. Add brandy to fill the jar and cover with a lid. Label the jar with contents and the date. Set aside in a cool, dark place for 3–4 weeks. When ready to decant, strain the contents of the jar through multiple layers of cheesecloth over a large bowl. Once the liquid has been drained out, give the contents of the cheesecloth a squeeze to release remaining liquid into the bowl. Discard remaining solids into your compost. For every 1 cup of liquid retained, add 1/2 cup honey (more or less honey to taste). Mix thoroughly to incorporate the honey into the brandy-elderberry mixture. Use a funnel to pour the cordial into a decorative bottle for storage, or gift giving. *This recipe can also be made with fresh elderberries—just increase the amount of berries per recipe to approximately 2 cups.
