Elderflower cordial

I have been intending to make elderflower cordial for years now. But I've always managed to miss the brief window when the blossoms are at their frothy peak. However, a large elder is now blooming magnificently in the messy part of our garden by the compost heap, so there was absolutely no excuse to let another spring go by without giving it a try. I felt a bit like a white witch as I brewed it in my largest pan, using the recipe from Elspeth Thompson's lovely book, Home Made. It is now steeping for 48 hours, and I hope I can serve some to the customers at the Open Gardens day on Monday.

The garden is looking so much better for a drop of rain. It was starting to feel a bit post-apocalyptic with cracks in the ground and dusty, flyaway soil. But everything is back to its jumbly wilderness again now.