Independent guide to
eating & drinking
Edinburgh and beyond
​
Est. 2003
Written by locals
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Easy elderflower champagne
By Sharon Wilson Apart from eating delicious restaurant takeaway food Mrs Bite has been foraging, pickling, fermenting and preserving. But, I always seem to come at life from a different direction to the prevailing wind. As Lockdown tightened, our oven broke. So while social media feeds were a roll call of artwork-worthy sourdough me and the mister were taking the back off the stove (ok he was), ordering parts (me) until finally finding an unfixable fault. Ikea we await your re-opening! Never mind we have gas rings and ordered lots of beautiful produce. The garden began to give, and long country walks were a source of food too from wild garlic to jack-in-the-hedge to elderflowers. I have made wild garlic soup and strawberry jam, preserved lemons, made fools and played with kefir. I have pickled vegetables and made whole meals out of what would at one time be called 'scraps'. I have bartered and shared. My lastest adventure is elderflower champagne. You need elderflowers, organic unwaxed lemons which I ordered from Spain via Crowdfarming , sugar, vinegar, sterilising fluid and a big bucket. I am posting the video I followed. I have 20 litres undergoing a second fermentation and no explosions so far. Come to think of it .....I better go and burp those bottles. Happy homesteading!