8 GREEN BOTTLES

8 green bottles, 8 green bottles standing in a row and if one green bottle gets used then there will be 7 green bottles standing in a row..............  We used to sing this all the time when we were young and travelling in the car!
Anyway, my elderflower cordial has spent 5 days steeping in the bucket and is ready for bottling.

 First job to go out to the shed and choose some bottles.  Some I have now had for years and keep on re- using them each year.  Wash in hot water and washing up liquid, scrub the insides with a bottle brush.  Then sterilise, I use milton tablets, the sort used for babies bottles.

strain the liquid from the flowers and lemon

pop the strainings into the compost bin

pour into the bottles, using a funnel.  Wash the bottles, because they are now very sticky and label.  I make myself label, because you never remember when you made something or sometimes even what it is, even though you are absolutely sure that you will remember!

And here they are  - 8 bottles of cordial.  They should be stored in the fridge or frozen, but they will be ok for a few months.  I hope to make some more and will have to add campden tablets to make sure that it will keep for longer.

Best served with fizzy water!