Elderflower Season

One of the Elder trees in the wilderness that is parts of our block.

My Elder trees are flowering madly.  This marks the start of a busy time for me.  I like to harvest the flowers and make stuff from them.  What kind of stuff? 

Well, so far I have made:

• Elderflower cordial - I’m told it’s great with gin, but as I don’t drink gin I can’t really comment.
• Elderflower champagne - currently in bottles waiting it’s two weeks before we can try a tipple.
• Elderflower throat lozenges - from the book “Grow Your Own Drugs” with some minor modifications.
• Dried Elderflowers - waste not want not and they’re supposed to be good as a tea.

A freshly opened elderflower head.

Elder (sambucus nigra) is a useful herbal healer.  A tea from the flowers is good for fever, coughs and colds.  A syrup or cordial from the berries is good to prevent colds.

When picking elderflowers, try to pick those that are freshly opened.  After a day or two they start to smell like sweat and after that they smell like cat pee.  I found recipes for cordials using both the flowers and the berries and simple recipes for Elderflower champagne and Elderberry wine.

Elderflower Cordial is a lovely summery drink and a tonic against colds and flu.  I made two batches, one with oranges and one without.  Both were great.

Elderflower Cordial

20-30 Elderflower heads

4 Lemons

2 Oranges

Up to 1 1/2 kg (3 1/2 lb) white sugar

Pick elderflower heads and shake off any insects.  I usually give them a quick rinse under the tap too.

Place in a large bowl with the skin of the oranges and lemons.  It’s much easier to use a potato peeler for this and you can reuse the skin later in the recipe.

Pour over just enough boiled water to cover completely. 1 1/2 - 2 litres usually does it.

Cover and leave overnight or for at least 4 hours.

Strain the liquid through cloth and gently squeeze to extract all the liquid.  If possible save skin.

Measure liquid and add 350g sugar for every 500ml liquid.

Combine in a large pot with the juice of oranges and lemons, add skin.

Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Skim off any scum.

Cool and strain through cloth again.  Pour into clean bottles and seal.

Elderflower Champagne

4 litres water

2 1/2 c sugar

2 tbsp cider vinegar

7-12 elderflower heads

2 lemons

Boil water and add sugar.  Stir until dissolved. 

Chop or slice lemons.

When sugar water is cool, add lemons, vinegar and elderflowers.

Let sit for 24 - 48 hours.

Strain and bottle.  Tie tops down firmly.

Make sure that you leave an air gap in the top of each bottle.  Elderflower champagne doesn’t really start to ferment until it’s in the bottle.  Leave for at least 2 weeks before drinking and make sure to open it either outside or over the sink.