Elderberry Rob/Cordial

A lovely, warming, winter drink – gives you vitamins A, B and lots of vitamin C. Mix the cordial with hot water to help with coughs, colds and flu.

·         2lb Elderberries

·         1 cup of water

·         Half a tsp of Allspice

·         Half a tsp of Ground Ginger

·         Ilb jar of local honey (The honey from bees local to where you live will help boost your immune system.)

Strip the Elderberries from their stalks and put them in a pan with the water. Simmer gently for 15 minutes then press the juice out through a sieve into a measuring jug. You will have about 1 pint of liquid. Return it to a clean pan and add the spices. Put some clean bottles and their lids on a baking tray in the oven at 120oC. This will sterilise them in the time it takes to finish the cordial. Now simmer the Elderberry juice for 10 minutes then take the pan off the heat and add the honey. Stir until the honey is dissolved and pour into your sterile bottles.

The name Elderberry Rob is an old fashioned name for cordial. Tradionally used as a winter tonic...when you've tried it you'll know why