Elder Flower Syrup

Ingredients

11 ("forager's dozen") Elder flower branches
¾ sugar
¾ water

Steps

1. Combine the sugar and water in a pot. Stir to dissolve sugar, then bring to a boil over a medium-high flame. Remove the pot from the heat.
2. Pull the elder flowers from the coarse stems and push them down into the syrup. Let the flowers steep until the syrup has cooled to room temperature.
3. Strain the syrup through a sieve, pressing lightly on the flowers to extract most of the syrup that clings to them. Place the syrup in a glass jar, seal, and refrigerate. Should last at two weeks.

from Kathryn LaSusa Yeomans