Elder Flower Drink and Syrup

In late May and early June the elder tree (Sambucus nigra) flowers, gorgeous white plate like flowers comprised of countless tiny florets. The flowers have a wonderful fresh smell that scent the entire room. They can be dipped in a light batter, fried and eaten, but you can also make two drinks – a simple drink that doesn't keep for longer than a few days, and a thicker syrup that will keep for years.

Use the Correct Flower

Both are easy to make and take little time. But remember, if you are gathering flowers in the wild, make sure that they aren’t protected, and that you are picking the correct flower – incorrect identification can cause disaster!

Citron Tablets

Citron tablets are available in Hungary everywhere to put into tea, and for this drink. They are tiny tablets and when dissolved in water, have an intense lemon taste. If you can't get the tablets, then use lemon concentrate to taste. The flavour of the elder should come through strongly, with a light lemon undertone.

Elder Flower Drink

Stays fresh only for a few days

Ingredients:

• 70 citron tablets, dissolved in a bit of water or lemon concentrate to taste, or juice of 3 or 4 lemons
• ½ kg sugar + 1 litre cold water in which to dissolve it
• 8 fresh new elder flowers
• Cold water

Method

1. Soak the flower heads for twelve hours in four litres of cold water
2. Remove the flower heads
3. Dissolve the sugar in the one litre of water
4. Dissolve the lemon tablets in a little bit of hot water
5. Add the sugar water to the flower water
6. Add the lemon tablet water to the flower water mixture, or add the pure lemon concentrate, or juice of three or four lemons
7. Strain and put into clean bottles and drink within a few days.

This is a refreshing summer drink, not too sweet, and with a light fruity taste. It’s always made in the Hungarian countryside and served to any visitors.

Elder Flower Syrup

• 1 litre cold water
• 10 fresh new elder flower heads
• 800 g sugar
• 10 citron tablets dissolved in a little hot water, or one dessert spoon lemon concentrate, or the juice of one lemon

Mehtod

1. Soak the flower heads in the litre of water for 24 hours
2. Take out the flowers
3. Add the suagr and dissoved citron tablets, or lemon concentrate, or juice of one lemon, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Strain the syrup - to catch the flower heads - into clean bottles with screw top lids
5. label and store

This syrup will keep for longer than a year.

It has a wonderful aroma that brings back memories of summer during the colder winter months.

Uses

It can be diluted with sparkling or cold water in summer for a refreshing scented drink. If the cold drink is too sweet, add a spoonful of plain yoghurt. It can also be used in cake recipes, pudding recipes, poured over ice cream, and used for flavouring cream or yoghurt. Dilute with hot water in the winter as an alternative drink to tea or coffee. It aids perspiration and is useful at the onset of a cold.

Elder flower drink

Soaking the flower heads

Elder flowers

Elder bushes

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