You think about making a delicious syrup yourself? But last year the juice has begun to mold? Here's how you can preserve elderflower syrup and here's what to watch out for!
There is nothing more annoying than putting a lot of work into something and then it turns out: all for nothing. No matter whether it's jam, syrup or something else entirely.
If you've ever made syrup yourself, chances are some of it went bad.
But now it's over. I'll show you how to preserve elderflower syrup. So you never have to throw away syrup again because it begins to mold.
What you need to do before you can preserve elderflower syrup
Mold can only develop where it finds a breeding ground. These are usually germs. You can prevent this if you boil the syrup and sterilize the utensils.
Have you also already thought about homemade elderflower syrup that has gone bad? Then you should read these lines carefully now. If you stick to it, this won't happen to you again.
Work very clean
Sounds logical, but it is the most common mistake made by beginners. Contaminants in bowls, pots and the like are a good breeding ground for mold.
All cooking utensils must be cleaned again beforehand.
Pots, sieves, cooking spoons, bowls - you should wash them all thoroughly by hand and with washing-up liquid. Then dry the utensils thoroughly.
Sterilize the bottles
Very important. Even if you have bought new bottles and caps, you must sterilize them to preserve the elderflower syrup.
Of course, you can also reuse bottles. You don't have to buy new ones every year. You should check the caps for damage and replace them if necessary.
First, sterilize the bottles. This can be done in the oven, microwave, dishwasher or large saucepan.
I like to combine two methods to play it safe.
In the microwave
- This only works with small bottles. Fill about 5 cm of water into the bottles.
- Place the bottles in the microwave and turn it on.
- 5 minutes on the highest setting ensures that all germs are disinfected.
- Take the bottles - attention hot! - from the microwave and pour off the remaining water.
In the cooking pot
- Place a clean tea towel in the pot. Fill it halfway with cold water.
- Fill the bottles with cold water and place them in the pot.
- Bring the water to a boil. Once it boils, turn down the temperature and put a lid on the pot.
- Leave the bottles in the hot water for 5 minutes.
- Take them out of the pot and pour away the water.
- Dry the neck of the bottle with a clean cloth.
In dishwasher
- You can also simply sterilize the bottles in the dishwasher.
- For this you wash them without other dishes at high temperature.
- Use normal dishwashing powder and rinse aid.
- I usually combine this method with the microwave and have never had any problems with mold in the syrup since then.
In the oven
- This method takes the longest. For this you can accommodate a lot of jars and bottles.
- Put the baking tray on the medium heat.
- Put the bottles on the tray in the cold oven.
- "Bake the bottles for 15 minutes at 150°. The time runs only when the oven reaches 150 °.
The caps of the bottles are best disinfected in a kettle or saucepan with bubbling water. Bring to the boil briefly and leave in the hot water.
You don't need table sugar for this elderflower syrup!
Test bottles and lids
If you want to preserve elderflower syrup, you should check if the caps and bottles are even good.
Ideally, you'll do this before sterilizing, but it's still possible now, of course.
Set up the bottles and try out the caps. When you find a cap for each bottle that wears really tight, you're good to go.
Elderflower syrup make durable - The trick with which it works guaranteed!
There are so many different recipes. But to be on the safe side, boil the sugar water twice. Once before you put the flowers in it and once after.
Step 1: Boil the water with sugar
Boil water and sugar. Boil until every grain of sugar has dissolved. This is the basis for your syrup. By boiling, you kill any germs that might be in the water in advance.
Many forgo this step when preserving elderflower syrup. For me, however, it has proven itself enormously. Since I do this, I no longer have any problems.
Now something is very important: you need to let the sugar water cool completely.
In the meantime, you can go collect the flowers. If you have already collected them, you can clean them. Leave out elderflowers with aphids and coarse impurities.
You can get rid of insects by carefully placing the flowers on a baking tray and putting it in the shade. But please do not put them on the ground, you will attract more insects.
Remaining insects you have to collect with your fingers.
Put the flowers in the cooled sugar water and put it in the refrigerator or cellar. The main thing - cool and dark. Stir the syrup twice a day with a clean spoon. Change the spoon every day.
By the way, this applies to all flower-based syrups, such as
Step 2: Boil the syrup
After 3-4 days the syrup is ready. Now you pour everything through a sieve into a pot. What remains is the pure syrup of flowers.
If you want to preserve elderflower syrup then, you need to boil it again now. When it starts to bubble, remove the pot from the stove.
Pour the hot syrup into the sterilized bottles and close them tightly.
Let them cool - but please do not leave them in direct sunlight.
Now store the syrup in a cool and dark place.
Did you know that you can make syrup from strawberries?
How long can be kept elderberry syrup
Opinions vary widely here. From a few months to years, you can find just about anything on the Internet.
A big factor in the shelf life is the right place of storage. It should be cool (optimal 15-8 degrees) and dark.
Under no circumstances should you store syrup in sunlight. It is well kept in a cool cellar or pantry. If you don't have such a place, you can store syrup in the pantry.
If you have a large refrigerator, you can also store the syrup here.
If you want to preserve elderflower syrup, then you should leave it in the storage place after making it. Leave the bottles alone and do not re-size them. You should also refrain from shaking them. Syrup loves to be left alone in the dark and cool.
From my personal experience I can say that elderflower syrup has a very long shelf life. I just recently opened a bottle that is already three years old. The syrup tastes like freshly prepared, you do not notice any difference.
After opening
And what about the shelf life once the bottle is open? Use up the syrup as soon as possible and store it in the refrigerator in the meantime.
Use up the elderflower syrup within 7 days. However, it often lasts for 2 weeks. It fits wonderfully in tap water, mineral water, punch, to champagne or pudding. But also on rice pudding or ice cream.
My conclusion
If you want to preserve elderflower syrup, you should use clean working utensils. Also, to be on the safe side, it should be boiled twice. If you then store it in a dark and cool place, nothing can go wrong.
Enjoy it!
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