Remember that elderflower champagne?
The one made from the hedgerows in our garden?
So simple the recipe.. Scarily simple!
Elderflower heads.. Sugar.. White wine vinegar (just a splash)..lemon juice and rind and water..
That’s it! No yeast? Nope no yeast..
The flower heads have it naturally..
Leave for four days. Then bottle.. You can drink it straight away if you want..
I understand now why people say don’t put it into the ‘pop’ glass bottles..
It sure does go pop !! Sheesh!
Take a look at the below links!!
Humph! Nothing left!
Is cool though.. It’s a good learn.. Oh and I opened the first one on the kitchen.. Needless to say its has an almighty scrub down by Mrs Fitz.. Still smells quite elderflowery yet that’s quite nice..
Also I have another batch ready .. And it’s all in plastic bottles …
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Categories: previous posts, Recipes
Pats tomahawks 
Three time truffle oil spiked and herbed baked potatoes -ala godson Patrick Starsky and then a roast chicken for a second outing 
Lebanesey kinda number 
lamb methi curry-esque thingy mah jiggy… #pressurekingpro outing 
Cooking with Mr Fitz 
How the heck did I miss this awesomeness the first time around?! Ahhh two of my favorite things!! Bubbly and from scratch! I LOVE IT. Scarily easy for sure… I need to go find myself some elderflowers!!
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You really do!!
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The first youtube link you posted links to a lamb recipe! Which I now must try myself! Was that a try to make us hungry? Hehehe! Cheers!
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It does? Let me check.. Ooh it does! Wonder how I managed that! Those were good mushrooms though!
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I am going to try that recipe out!! Really will!
I guess you didn’t chill your champagne before popping the cork, right? CO2 is better dissolved in colder temperatures and a much more controlled release will be achieved when you pop it open! No waste and laughter from the camera girl! hehehe! Enjoyed the videos, though!
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I did chill it.. Maybe not enough? The plastics seem to be cool.. Great taste off it!
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I will make a video now in your honour. I haven’t popped one of mine open yet. I usually “cold crash” all my homebrews for at least one week before attempting to open them, to give time for the pressure at the top of the bottle to decrease and the carbonation to properly dissolve!
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Good tip! Looking forward to the video Mrs Fitz just brought me a cold glass of the next batch.. It’s been in the fridge almost a week.. It’s lovely!!
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Well, that was harmless! Here is the link to the video!
I am having a glass here myself! Cheers!
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It won’t play?
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Try to go to youtube, rather than play on the message. It happens sometimes. The name of the channel is “The World is a Windmill”!
Cheers
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Love that!!! Yeah mine is not as clear more lemony I reckon.. Brilliant vid cool!! Cheers!!
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No problem! Clarity comes with time. If you wait long enough, your champagne will clear. Leave it for a couple of weeks in the fridge. If you check my post, you will see that the original product was not nearly as clear as it is now!
I am glad you liked it! Enjoy your champagne!
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I couldn’t wait!! Now I have to wait till next year! I hear about elderberry port.. Any ideas?
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I’ve done it. Wine is good that follows the usual same, simple recipe. When bottling, you need to stabilize the wine/port, so it doesn’t fizz in the bottle. Wine bottles cannot withstand the pressure. You can use your waitrose water bottle for fermentation. Use a second one for secondary fermentation and stabilization. It takes about one month before bottling, but it is worth the wait! Definitely is!
Wine and beer is not as straightforward as the champagne, but it is still very easy!
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Could I make it like a champagne instead?
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Of course you can! Mash the berries a little bit and follow the same recipe (instead of the elderflower). You might need to add a tiny bit of yeast, because the yeast of the elderflower champagne comes from the petals of the flower. There might be a little yeast on the unwashed wild berries (that white powder that covers wild berries)… so, if you are trying champagne, make sure that it is slightly covered on that white powder and don’t wash it. And when bottling, strain it out, otherwise it can go off inside the bottle!
Maybe I should make posts on that!
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I reckon you should make that post.. And I am for sure making that when the berries ripen ! Bread yeast ok to use?
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Nooooooooooooo!!! Only if you have sourdough. Don’t use dry baker’s yeast, as it has a very low tolerance to alcohol, amongst other things. I saw the waitrose bottle, you are in the UK, right?
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Yup am in uk.. What does low tolerance mean?
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The yeast dies as soon as it is in an alcoholic solution, even with the smallest amount of alcohol. In order to make baker’s yeast work in a brew, you’d need to add A LOT of it for a quick fermentation, which would alter the taste of your drink.
So, low tolerance means that baker’s yeast can’t handle alcohol! Just like soooo many people!
The Home Brew Shop in Aldershot has a huge variety of yeasts and whatever else you need to brew! They have a great online store!
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Ahhh ok! Thanks for that! Could you please gimme an idea if the best yeast
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If you are making port, use D47. It tolerates a lot of alcohol, so if your initial sugar content is high, it will give you a 15% max alcoholic drink.
As I guess you don’t have hydrometer, as a rule of thumb, for a dry port, you will need about 1kg of elderberry, 1.5kg of sugar, juice and zest of one lemon and 5L of water. Boil everything for 45 minutes, bring to room temperature and put it back in the 5L water bottle. You will need an airlock for that (about £1) and a rubber cork to fit that in (another £1). When you bring it down to room temperature, add the yeast and close the bottle with your cork and airlock and let in ferment for about 10 days. You will notice a lot of sediment at the bottom of the bottle, that is dead yeast. Try not to disturb it. Now you can bottle it. There is a danger of bottle bombs once you bottle it and get a fizzy drink, so if you want, bottle it and put in the fridge straight away to stop the activity of the remaining yeast.
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Ok! Thanks for that!
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Too delicious. I’ve been wanting to find elderflowers for years to have a go at this. And now here it is again! Happy Fiesta Friday.
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Thanks! Had some if the new Bach last night. Very tasty.
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I so want to be in your kitchen Mr Fitz – it is full of just the most fabulous things, all of which I want NOW!! I had some elderfower champagne when I went to the Pop–Up Veg Box Dinner during our local food festival. The head grower was using the event as a trial run for his wedding and they slipped down very easily. They were refilling our glasses from a nice glass bottle but it sounds as if they probably decanted the fizz into it so that it looked pretty on the night. Thanks for bringing this with you to the party – I will look after everyone’s glasses, just as soon as I have had a little taste – hic…
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Uh oh! It’s a leetle bit more potent Han you think! And sheesh ! Watch the you tube videos .. It can go bang! Lost six of them !
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Looks delicious. And the flowers are so pretty. Not sure we have any elderflowers in this area, but at least I can enjoy your vicariously.
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Thanks! they are very pretty.. and the pop is very delicious!
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