Tom Aitken's elderflower and lemon jelly

Make the most of the summer flavours-and put some away for winter.

Elderflower and lemon jelly (this will make approximately 2 litres of jelly)

Ingredients
800g organic lemon juice or unwaxed lemons
600g water
600g sugar
1 vanilla pod split and scraped
Small bunch mint
200g fresh elderflowers
16 leaves bronze gelatine

Method
Bring lemon juice, water, sugar and vanilla to a simmer for five minutes (ensuring all sugar is dissolved), then add the elderflowers and simmer for another five minutes. Take off the heat and, once cool, place mixture into the fridge to infuse for a day.

Pass all the elderflowers and liquid through a fine sieve into a large bowl, pressing down really well to get out all the flavour. Discard solids. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for five minutes until soft, then squeeze all the water out and place the softened gelatine in 100ml of the lemon-elderflower syrup which you have warmed. Melt it in and then pass through a fine sieve into the other liquid, whisking as you go.

Set this bowl over another bowl of iced water, stirring occasionally. While you’re waiting for this to set, pick all the leaves from the mint, then lay the leaves on top of each other and, with a sharp knife, cut them into thin strips. When the jelly is almost set, stir in the mint. This will then be suspended in the liquid.

Pour the mixture into individual ramekins or a large jelly mould it’s up to you. When you come to turn a mould out, dip it into warm water up to the level of the mould, upturn a large plate on top and then tip this upside down and give it a little shake it should just plop out.