Elderflower Champagne

Ingredients

8 Florets of Elderflower

800g Sugar

4 lemons, pared zest and juice

½ teaspoon of Bread Yeast

2 Litres of hot water

3 Litres of cold

Tools – you will need a sealable bucket to allow your champagne to ferment.  Gather up some clean flip top bottles, muslin and a large spoon to stir.

Let’s Brew

In your fermentation bucket, add the sugar and 2 litres of hot water, stirring well to dissolve.  Add in the zest and juice of the lemons before topping up with 3 litres of cold water.  Stir well.  Add in the Elderflower florets and the bread yeast.  Stir well and seal the bucket. 

Leave in a safe space at room temperature, don’t let it get too cold.  Ideally indoors will mean your champagne will ferment at a nice temperature (sheds can get a little chilly, which can halt the fermentation process). 

On day 6, strain the liquid off the flowers and lemons using muslin and a sieve. Bottle your Champagne in clean, sterilised flip top bottles.  Your Elderflower will be ready to drink 7 days after bottling.

Tip: Beer bottle or prosecco bottles with flip tops are best as the glass is reinforced for high pressure liquids.  To prevent your bottles building up excess pressure, or exploding, you can “burp” your filled bottles by gently easing the flip top to allow some of the air to release.  By placing your bottles in the fridge, you will stop the fermentation process, so only refrigerate before drinking.