5 delicious elder flower recipes (other than just syrup)

Elder flower season has arrived. They are everywhere, and if you are trying to increase your foraging skills, now is the time. There is no excuse for not trying them.
So go out and get some flowers. You won't regret.  If food can be poetry, elder flower definitely is.

Here are 5 inspiring elder flower recipes.

Elder flower vinegar

Well, of course you could just infuse apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar with elder flowers, and that would be great. But here's a more sophisticated way, based on a recipe from France that we make every year again and again. It makes a wonderful gift as well.

• 2 cups elder flowers
  
• 1 liter/ 4 cups white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  
• 1 spring onion, chopped
  
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• a few black peppercorns (to taste)
  
• 20 sprigs of flowering thyme
  
• 15 sprigs of savory
  
  

Place all ingredients in a glass jar and cover with the vinegar. Let infuse for 6 weeks. Strain if desired and transfer to bottles with cork. Don't forget to label.

This vinegar has a long shelf life; when kept in a dark and cool place it will keep for at least a whole year, until there are new elder flowers for making another batch.

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Elder flower champagne

• 4 liters elder flowers (that's 16 cups)
• 4,5 liter cold water (18 cups)
• 1 lemon
• 650 g sugar - (I use coconut nectar)
  
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Dissolve the sugar in a small amount of warm water and let stand to cool. Juice the lemons, chop the zest and place in a large jar with the elder flowers. Add the vinegar and the rest of the cold water. Let stand for 4 days.

Strain and pour in corked bottles. After 6 to 10 days, the champagne should have fermented naturally and is drinkable. Do test after 6 days to see that it does not get too fizzy. If it doesn't, let stand for another week: sometimes the natural yeast of the flowers is very slow to get going.

This elder flower champagne is a recipe from Roger Phillips' classic Wild Food. I can hardly wait for a sunny day to make this again this year.

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Elder flower infused almond milk

• 2 cups  elder flowers
• 1 liter/4 cups water, plus extra for soaking the almonds
  
• a handful of almonds
• 2 medjool dates, pit removed
  

Soak the almonds in cold water.
Boil the 4 cups of water and pour over the elder flowers. Let both stand overnight, at room temperature.

Strain the almonds the day after.
Strain the elder flower infusion as well and combine with the almonds and dates in a blender. Blend thoroughly, strain again.

When drinking, close your eyes and feel in paradise.

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Elder flower sorbet

• 2 cups ripe gooseberries, topped and tailed (you can use strawberries instead)
  
• 1 cup elder flowers
• zest of 1 lemon (or 1 orange) - organic of course
  
• 1 cup water
  
• some honey
• one ripe banana
  

Bring the water to a boil. Place the elder flowers and lemon zest in a jar and cover with the water. Let stand overnight, then strain. Add honey to taste. Put the liquid in a blender, combined with the fruit. After blending, pour in a freezer safe container and place in your freezer. When the sorbet starts to freeze around the edges, take it out of the freezer and stir with a fork to break up any frozen sections. Return to the freezer and repeat the process until the sorbet is completely frozen.

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Elder flower pancakes

• 8 elder flower umbels
• 1 cup of almond milk (or use the elder flower infused almond milk from the recipe above)
  
• 1/2 mashed banana
  
• 1 cup rice flour
• a pinch of vanilla
  
• coconut oil

Remove the tiny flowers from the stem. Mix all ingredients, except the elder flowers and the coconut oil. When mixed well, add the flowers to the batter and stir well. Bake in coconut oil.

Want it sweeter? Drizzle some honey on top!

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