Last week I picked some elderberries but I only managed to get one small tub of them. I thought I would have a go at making elderberry syrup since it is supposed to be a good source of vitamin C. I read a few recipes but didn't follow any of them exactly.

I removed all the stalks and put the berries in a pan along with a small splash of water. I simmered the berries and pressed them against the side of the pan to release the juices. I strained the juice into a jug before putting the berries back in the pan with a bit more water for a 2nd extraction.

To make the syrup, I put the juice in a pan with a splash of lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of sugar. I simmered the juice for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar. When it had cooled, I poured it into a bottle and stored it in the fridge.

The first time I tasted the syrup it was still slightly warm and tasted quite sweet but later on when I sampled it again it had gone nice and cold and had a nice strong 'berry' flavour with no obvious sweetness.