Elderflower Champagne

Ingredients:

The flowers from 6 elderflower heads

2 lemons, sliced

4.5 litres of water

750 grams of sugar 

2 tbsp of cider/white wine vinegar

Fizzy drinks bottles 

Make sure your bottles are sterile, once you have washed them you can either use a sterilising fluid or crush up a campden tablet in some warm water to dissolve it and then give them a good rinse with the solution. Make sure your hands are clean throughout the process!

I would advise against using glass bottles. Once the fermentation process starts in the bottle the high pressure can cause the bottle to explode and a hole to appear in your favourite partitioning wall/shed. 

1.Pour 4.5 litres of water in to a container which has a lid (or can be cling filmed)

2. Add the flowers of 6 elderflower heads (shake off any bugs first but don't wash the flowers as this will get rid of the natural yeast and you will have no fizz. Bear in mind that your hands will get covered in pollen so if you are a fellow hayfever sufferer DON'T rub your eyes!)

3. Add the 2 sliced lemons

4. Whilst in the mixture give the lemons a squeeze to let out some of the juice

5. Put the lid/cling film on and leave for 24-36 hours

6. Strain the liquid through a clean cloth/ muslin into a container

7. Add 2 tbsp of cider/white wine vinegar

8. Add 750g of sugar and stir until dissolved

9. Pour in to fizzy drinks bottle and put the lids back on (not too tight though)

10. The champagne will start to fizz over the next few days. Over the next week or so keep checking the bottles frequently to make sure that the pressure hasn't built up too high. If it does very gently unscrew the bottles slightly to release some of the pressure.

After 1-2 weeks the bubbles should slow down. When they do screw down the caps tightly and it is ready for you to drink.

The longer you leave it, the more alcoholic it will get as it will continue to ferment but keep in mind that by three months it will probably be too dry.