Description
Elderberry Gin is one of the joys you can make at home after foraging. the berries need plucking from the stems before steeping in gin for a month. It's well worth the effort and patience!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 500g (3 cups) elderberries
- 1 lemon, peel only
- 750ml (3 cups) gin
- 150g (3/4 cup) sugar
- 1.5 litre jar
Instructions
- Thoroughly clean the berries under running water. Drain.
- Using a fork, pick the berries of the tiny branches. Be careful not to have stems still attached to the berries. Only keep the ripe berries, i.e. discard the green and damaged ones.
- Give the berries a good rinse to remove any debris, then tip them into a 1.5ℓ (6 cups) jar, along with the lemon peel.
- Pour in the gin, close the lid and seal.
- The jar will now have to be stored for at least a month in a cool, dark place. Every few days, you’ll need to turn.
- Using a fine sieve, strain the gin. After you strain it, you can keep the berries and use them in dessert or in a savoury sauce to be served with venison.
- Place the sugar and pour 125ml (½ cup) of water in a small saucepan over a low heat.
- Stir frequently until all the sugar has dissolved and a sugar syrup has formed. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- How sweet you want the elderberry gin to be is up to you. Pour a little of the sugar syrup in at a time and taste until desired sweetness is achieved. Enjoy!
Notes
- Elderberry gin makes an excellent gift. You can buy cute sealable glass bottles and give them away as presents!
- Serving Suggestion #1: Treat the elderberry gin as you would a traditional gin, with tonic water.
- Serving Suggestion #2: Think along the lines of a Kir Royale. Use 30ml (2tbsp) elderberry gin and top up the champagne glass with a little pour of prosecco.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Drink
- Method: Soak
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: elderberry gin, how to use elderberries, elderberry gin recipe, foraging recipe, elderberry gin fizz