Once the lemons are ready, as they are in the picture, squeeze them and add the juice and pulp to the mixture. Don't add the pith. Take the pith (ha ha) and put it on your compost heap. It'll take a long time to rot but it will make your compost smell nice!.

It is a good idea to rinse the elderflower heads before putting them into the eldrflower syrup. Also remove any dead mice, bugs, leaves etc. Stir the mixture well. It doesn't have to be heated but will probably still be warm. Make sure there is no sugary sludge on the bottom of your pan.

Cover the pan for about 3-4 days. This will allow the flavour of the elderflower to diffuse into the syrup. Make sure that the syrup is well covered so that animals and/or small children don't upset it - it is quite sensitive.

And finally, the bottling process. Sterilise your bottles by putting them in an oven on low heat for around ten minutes - if it is too hot, they'll crack. Remove the elderflower heads from the syrup then decant the syrup into the bottles through a sieve. Store in a cool dark place.

And that's it. The drink probably lasts for a couple of years though never does for me as I drink it or give it away to friends. To serve, add a small quantity to a jug with some fresh lemon juice. Serve chilled with ice cubes and slices of lemon. Very refreshing in summer and great if you need some energy when doing sports - and a lot cheaper than Lucozade. If you'd like to have a look at an excellent book on preserves, have a look at this one .

Want to try more of my recipes?

tomato sauce chutney pesto chestnut soup rosehip syrup lentil burgers yoghurt

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