Elderflower Champagne - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 large elderflower heads (picked on a sunny July day)
6 pints water, cold
2 pints boiling water
1 1/2 lbs granulated sugar
2 large lemons, juice and rind of
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Preparation

Do not wash the flower, but remove any insects and the thick stalks.
Place the sugar in a very large bowl and cover with 2 pints of boiling water.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Then add 6 pints cold water, the rind and juice of the lemons, the vinegar and flowers.
Stir well.
Cover and leave, covered, for 48 hours, stirring occasionally.
Strain through a fine sieve into clean bottles with screw tops.
Leave an inch gap at the top of each bottle and screw down well.
Leave in a cool place to mature. Nice served with ice. Ready to drink in 6 weeks but it tastes better the longer it is left.