As Summer gives of her bounty there's abundance.  Some is gathered and preserved, the remainder is left to nature.

I'll bottle what is probably the last batch of Elderflower Cordial this evening and will make a conserve from the fruit which is left over after the bottling.

Using the Fruit

The last couple of batches of cordial left me with enough fruit to fill 12 pots with Elderflower, Lemon & Lime Conserve. This is the first time I've used the fruit is this way and it produces a beautifully light summery taste.  It's more difficult to get it to set than if I was using fruit specially prepared for the conserve rather than left-over fruit from the cordial.  I use granulated sugar only, as I prefer the softer consistency of homemade preserves.

Making the Conserve

Strain and bottle the cordial, weigh the remaining fruit adding some limes for extra flavour and boil for nearly two hours until the rind is soft. Add the elderflower in a muslin bag for about 15~20 mins at the jam making stage.  Less sugar is needed as the fruit is already quite sweet having been sitting in the cordial for a couple of days.  Check for sweetness before boiling to setting point and add more sugar if required.

Recipe

I've adapted a very simple recipe for marmalade from Darina Allen's 'Forgotten Skills of Cooking' to make the conserve.

Ingredients:

4.5 lbs fruit

9 lbs sugar - (I half the sugar when using fruit from the cordial)

9 pts water

Method:

Bring water and fruit the the boil, reduce by half or better still two thirds.

Add warm sugar stirring over a brisk heat until dissolved.  Boil fast until setting point is reached, skimming once towards the end.

Pot into sterilised jars and cover immediately.

Enjoy 'Summer in a Jar' on your morning toast!!

Abundance

Giving preserves as gifts when visiting is a great joy and it's impossible to run out as it seems more comes back than is given. The only shortage at this time of year is bottles and glass jars.  No matter how many we collect during the year, nature provides us with more than we can use.