Socata with Caramelized Sugar, Grandma's Way

Name: Socata with Caramelized Sugar, Grandma's Way
Ingredients: 400 g sugar; 4000 ml water; 3 medium lemons (300 g); 50 ml lemon juice; 15 elderflowers; 2 g yeast

Beverages - Socata with Caramelized Sugar, Grandma's Way by Antonia O. - Recipia

Socata, a Romanian elderflower drink, starts with sugar caramelized in a pot, then deglazed with water. The cooled syrup is poured over elderflowers and lemon, and that is how socata is made. It comes out sweet and tart, with a floral smell and a light caramel taste. Pick the flowers with the umbels fully open, not the ones that have started to yellow. Prep: 15 minutes. Cook: 15 minutes. Rest: 15 minutes. Total time: 45 minutes. Servings: 10. About 170 kcal and 1 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

400 g sugar
4000 ml water
3 medium lemons (300 g)
50 ml lemon juice
15 elderflowers
2 g yeast

Preparation

1. Rinse the elderflowers and set them to drain in a colander. 2. Cut the lemons into slices. 3. In a heavy-bottomed pot, add 400 g sugar over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until it melts and turns the golden color of caramel. 4. Add 4000 ml water, watch out for the steam, and leave on the heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until completely dissolved. 5. In a 5 l jar, put the flowers, lemon slices, 50 ml lemon juice and 2 g yeast. 6. Let the syrup cool slightly for 15 minutes, then pour it over the ingredients in the jar. 7. Stir well, cover the jar and leave it at room temperature until it reaches the desired acidity. 8. Bottle the socata and keep it in the fridge.

Notes

If you want something less sweet, don't change the sugar, instead dilute the socata when serving with cold sparkling water. This year I liked the elderflower, clean and dust-free, the rain was wonderful for the flowers. Flowers picked along roadsides collect dust and exhaust fumes, so pick them from more secluded areas. Keep it in the fridge once it's bottled. Serve it with ice and a slice of lemon, alongside a simple dessert with summer fruit.