Mint, Lavender and Elder
Went to ‘rents and noticed huge pot full of mint so I asked what they were using it for and they said nothing! I grabbed a bag and scissors and filled half the carrier bag. At home I hung them to dry in garage, bundled in bunches with hair bands and with paper clips as hooks to attach them to an old hanging basket chain.
Also put a few on a tray in the freezer as an experiment to add whole leaves to drinks etc.
Picked the few lavender flowers we have and hung to dry in porch
After tea(not in midday sun 
, better for me but not for the elderflowers) me and the kids went for a drive to collect some elderflowers. Picked enough to make elderflower cordial, elderflower wine (used 4pts of boiling water, will add the rest of the water when I make it up in a demijohn) and a test run of drying flowers. They are on a hanging airer, in the garage with a laundry basket underneath to catch any falling flowers. All recipes from selfsufficientish.com and reproduced below.
Later, we went over the lotty and the kids watered the seedlings, beans & peas and the sweetcorn. Not sure it’s done properly but it’s done..!
Elderflower Cordial
An easy to make drink that can be frozen in plastic bottles, leaving room for expansion, so it can be enjoyed all year round. It will keep for almost a month if just bottled, although is best to drink within 2 weeks. To ensure no mould, it is better that you freeze elderflower cordial and it can be enjoyed as a christmas drink. I also will be showing you how to make this soon on selfsufficientish.tv
Ingredients
20 elderflower heads
1 sliced lemon
2 tsp of citric acid (ask at your chemist)
1.5 kg (3.5 lbs) of sugar
1.2 ltr (2.5 pints) boiling water
Method
Boil a kettle for the water.
Fill a bowl or small bucket with all the other ingredients.
Pour the water over the other ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Skin the surface of the water to get rid of the scum that can arise. Cover with a cloth (mine has a pillow case over it).
Stir twice a day for five days.
Strain though a fine sieve though a fine sieve or through muslin cloth and decant into sterile screw topped bottles. Refrigerate.
As with other cordials dilute with 5 parts water to serve . Experiment with it and add it to some of your favourite spirits. It is really nice as a gin mixer.
Elderflower wine
Ingredients
Grated rind of one lemon
500mls (1 pint) of elderflowers – to obtain this pick or shake of the elderflowers
and place into a measuring jug. Don’t push them down but do shake them down. Be careful not to add any of the bitter green stems.
3.5 litres (8 pints) of boiling water
1.3kg (3 lbs) sugar Juice of one lemon
25g (Half an ounce) yeast
Method
Put lemon rind with the elderflowers and pour over boiling water
Allow to stand for 4 days, stirring occasionally.
Strain through a fine sieve or muslin cloth
Stir in sugar, lemon juice and yeast
Keep at room temperature to ferment, try not to let it go down to 18c (65f)
When you are sure all the bubbling has ceased, stir the wine and allow to settle for 3 days
Strain again carefully
Put in a demijohn (not bottles)
After 3 months maturing, put into bottles.
