Elderflower Vinegar is a traditional British recipe for a classic method of preparing elderflower vinegar by infusing elderflowers in a vinegar base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Elderflower Vinegar.
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Floral vinegars are excellent for lifting the flavours of vinaigrettes. For this recipe to work you need all the acid of a vinegar but you need a slightly more neutral backbone. As a result, white wine and cider vinegars are a good base. Some also like to use rice wine vinegar (but I’m not a big fan). This easy Elderflower Vinegar is a fantastic way of capturing the floral flavour of fresh elderflowers. Use it in dressings and as a condiment in sweet and savoury dishes.
Ingredients:
500ml (2 cups) vinegar (eg white wine, cider or rice wine vinegar)
4 heads of fresh elderflowers
Method:
Check that the elderflowers are free from insects (you can wash your elderflowers if you wish). However, to ensure a stronger flavour, it is better not to wash them as you will lose their pollen.
Pack the elderflowers into a jam jar and cover with the vinegar. You may need to push them down a bit to ensure that they are completely covered by the vinegar.
Secure a lid on the jar then set aside for two weeks for the vinegar to mature at room temperature. Check every day or so to ensure that the flowers are still covered by the vinegar.
After two weeks, strain the vinegar to remove the elderflowers. The easiest way to do this is to pour it through a sieve lined with a piece of clean muslin. The flavoured vinegar will keep indefinitely in a lidded jar or bottle.
