Pick the elderflowers on a sunny morning, after the dew has evaporated (and as with all foraging, make sure they are not harvested from any areas where there is either heavy traffic pollution or the danger they could have been er, polluted by dogs!).

Don’t wash the heads, just give them a vigorous shake to remove any bugs; I often leave the blossom spread out on a tea towel for half an hour just to let the little blighters escape. Cut off the thick stem as close as possible to the flowers, as it can make the syrup bitter.

Tip the sugar into a large ceramic bowl then pour over 1.5l of boiling water and stir so the sugar starts to dissolve.

Allow to cool, then add the chopped fruit, citric acid and flower heads. Give everything a final stir then cover with a clean tea towel.

Steep the mixture for 48 hours, stirring occasionally, before straining through a sieve lined scalded muslin. Pour into sterilised bottles and store in the fridge where it will keep for a good six weeks.