ELDERBERRY FIZZ*

INGREDIENTS 1.4kg elderberries . 1 or 2 pods star anise . 75ml water 450g granulated sugar . 1 lemon . 120ml sparkling water

METHOD

Rinse the berry clusters and strip them from their stems. Place in a large pot with the star anise and crush with a potato masher. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, mashing the fruit several more times. Strain the juice through a damp jelly bag and let it hang until cool; then squeeze the bag to extract the remaining juice. Bring to the boil in a

preserving pan and stir in the sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, ladle the syrup into sterilised bottles. Seal and store in the fridge for up to two months.

For the fizz, pour two tablespoons of the elderberry syrup into a glass over crushed ice. Add a quarter of a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and top up with about 120 millilitres of sparkling water. Rub the rim with a twist of lemon peel and drop it in as a garnish.