Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Elderflower Syrup


My new bumper sticker: I brake for champagne cordials.

The other day while taking Hank and Holly on a mushroom odyssey I surprised a few drivers behind me in a curvy stretch of canyon by yanking my van off the road at speed and coming to a dusty stop in the dirt. A flat? Sudden engine trouble? Naw, I just happened to spy the creamy white flowers of a blue elderberry tree on the roadside.

The blue elderberry (Sambucus caerulea) is a prolific bloomer on the east slope of the Cascades where it inhabits canyons, hillsides, and farm country, often near water. River corridors are a good place to look for this variety up and down the West Coast. Other varieties are common across the continental U.S. and throughout much of the temperate and sub-tropical world.



Last year I made elderberry syrup. This year I wanted to catch the flowering so I could make an equally distinctive though more delicate concoction. The thick berry syrup goes great with yogurt and ice cream; the flower variety is perfect for a refreshing summer drink or, even better, to enliven a sparkling flute of prosecco.

Everyone has their own preferred method for making the syrup, but besides the addition of exotic ingredients the main difference is the time you allow the flowers to steep. I used Hank's recipe as a guide, eschewing the citric acid (two lemons seemed plenty, and anyway I'd used up my stash of citric acid on Dandelion Wine earlier this spring) and, in a happy accident, steeped my flowers for five days instead of two or three. The extra time only strengthened the subtle flavor without having any funky side effects, though you might exercise caution in really hot locales.

Definitely use a cheese cloth when straining your liquid. It's an unavoidable fact that little critters like to make their homes in eldflower clusters. The recipe below makes about a quart of syrup. I canned two half-pints and refrigerated the other pint. It will be interesting to see if the canning process had any effect on the delicate flavor.

20 large elderflower clusters
1 quart water
4 cups sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of 2 lemons

1. Trim flowers into a large bowl and try to remove as much of the stem as possible (most of the elderberry tree other than the flowers and berries is toxic). Rolling the flowers between thumb and forefinger is a good way to separate stem from flower. Continue to pick through flower pile, removing as many little stems as possible.

2. Add lemon zest and juice to bowl.

3. Bring quart of water and sugar to boil, stirring to make sure sugar is well dissolved.

4. Pour liquid over flower and lemon mixture. Stir.

5. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and allow elderflowers to steep for 5 days.

6. Strain through cheese cloth and fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate syrup or process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Cheers!

Third photo by www.heyserphoto.com

9 comments:

Kirsten Lindquist said...

Wow, slamming on the brakes for elderberry flowers... I miss my farm in Minnesota! Lovely post.

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook said...

Don't forget the elderflower martini, either. It goes great with a fresh cherry as a garnish.

Langdon Cook said...

Kirsten - The tight canyon u-turn that followed had my passengers even more on edge. Luckily they well understood the impulse...see below...

Hank - So how *did* you feel about that heel-toe work in the trusty VW? We'll shake up some eldertinis next. The Rainier cherry garnish is genius; unlike other annoying garnishes that bump your mouth or poke your eye, the cherry just spins on its axis, never getting in the way of a good gulp, until you're ready to dispatch it. And it looks purty too.

Unknown said...

I made this a couple of weeks ago, v similar recipe- it's perfect for 'improving' cheap sparkling wine, adding to gooseberries, diluting with fizzy water, flavouring ice cream and cheesecake, and the hedgerows here in Cornwall are thick with it...

Jessa said...

I made elderflower syrup and an infused elderflower liqueur this year - I actually liked the syrup better than the booze. From now on I'll just make syrup and use it as a mixer.

My next batch of syrup (there are some wonderful blue elder trees right down the street from my house), I think I will go a little heavier on the lemon zest - it got lost in the powerful aroma of the flowers.

We've been drinking elderflower syrup in home-fermented kombucha, or with a simple tonic water. Delicious!

Anonymous said...

I'm sure you know, I'm so sure you know, but we SWEAR by elderberry syrup for anything close to a common cold. It is amazing. And delicious.

Bikejuju said...

I can't hear about elderberries without thinking of the Monty Python taunting Frenchmen, "I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and you father smelt of elderberries!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V7zbWNznbs

Kristen said...

Thanks for the recipe! Is it possible (or wise) to use the flowers from a red elder? The flower clusters are smaller and are popping out now in the Seattle area (as I'm sure you've noticed!) and I'm very tempted by them. Don't want to poison myself though! Thoughts, tips? Thanks!

Mike B. @ slugyard.com said...

I've been told that red elderberries are poisonous, while blue ones are not. I have a huge red elderberry in my yard and I steer clear of it. Does cooking it change this?