Elderflower Champagne/Sparkling Wine
Author: 
Serves: 10 litres
 
Ingredients
  • 700g White Sugar
  • 6 litres Water
  • 1 sachet all purpose white yeast
  • 20 Elderflower Heads
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (or White Wine Vinegar)
Instructions
  1. Add sugar and water and stir till the sugar is dissolved
  2. Add the elderflower heads, lemon, vinegar and yeast
  3. Cover with a muslin cloth (to allow air out, but no bugs in)
  4. Elderflower heads should have enough natural yeast on them to get themselves going. If after 24 hours there doesn't seem to be any fermentation (no bubbles) add a teaspoon of bread, champagne or white wine yeast.
  5. Leave to ferment a further 4 days, then lay the muslin inside your regular sieve and pour the liquid out so that it catches all the plant matter in the sieve. This is where I pour it into the demijohn and place the bulb into the cork.
  6. Put some water into the bulbs - this allows the gas to escape but doesn't let air in and leave for 3 - 4 days while it ferments further.
  7. From here, add a half teaspoon fine white sugar to your 500ml bottles, and decant the champagne into individual bottles. Check from time to time so that they don't explode, but set aside for 2 weeks.
  8. Chill before serving - there may be sediment at the bottom of the bottle, so don't pour it out all the way.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 500ml Calories: 137 Carbohydrates: 35 Sugar: 35 Fiber: .2 Protein: .2
Recipe by Keeper of the Kitchen at https://www.keeperofthekitchen.com/2020/07/16/elderflower-champagne-sparkling-wine/