Citric acid is a popular product and ingredient that can be used in a number of ways from cleaning your home to making your own summer-inspired elderflower cordial (or any other flavour you prefer).

Citric acid is a compound found in naturally citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits. It comes in a granulated crystal form and can be used in a number of ways as a powerful ingredient.

Using citric acid for elderflower cordial is easy. However you can create your own cordial with any fruits such as berries, lemon or lime. Here’s a quick recipe:

Directions to make elderflower cordial:

1. Add 2.5kg white sugar to 1.5 litres of water into a large saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally.
2. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat and bring to the boil, once boiling turn off the heat.
3. Then simply add dried or fresh elderflower to the sugar syrup along with the zest of two lemons and around 85g citric acid.
4. Cover and leave to infuse for 24 hours.
5. Pour through a colander into another pan, jug or a large bowl and discard the bits of elderflower and lemon. Decant into bottles and refrigerate for up to 4-6 weeks. Dilute with water to taste.

Why use citric acid in elderflower cordial? The addition of citric acid simply prevents the cordial from fermenting and acts as a preservative.