Our Top 6 Elderflower Recipes
The elderberry bushes are flowering all around my house and the aroma is heavenly! I make it a daily habit this time of year bring a few stems of elderflowers inside and place them in a small vase of water so that I can enjoy their buttery floral fragrance all day long. Alas, as with the berries, elderflowers are quite perishable, and my pretty little bouquet made in the morning is not so pretty by the afternoon. Although elderflowers are not the ideal bouquet candidate, they are fantastic in foods and drink and how many flowers can make that claim? This month I have been exploring different ways to use elderflowers and am so happy to be able to share my creations with you.You may use either fresh or dried elderflowers in any of these recipes. Elderberry bushes are flowering in late May, June and July in North Carolina and Missouri, and if you want to harvest your own fresh flowers, you'll find this blog post about harvesting elderflowers useful.
I've found a couple great ways to use the flowers directly in food. The following recipes are some of my favorites:
Strawberry Elderflower Chia Compote is a thinner, saucier version of our Pectin Free Elderberry Jam and has the added benefit of Chia Seeds which are rich in Omega 3, calcium, iron, and dietary fiber.
Strawberry Elderflower Jam. The texture of the flowers blends really nicely with the strawberry seeds in this pectin-free jam. Unbelievably good, and since strawberries and elderflowers come into season about the same time, you can make this jam with fresh elderflowers if you wish.
Elderflower Syrup. A great way to bring the amazing taste of elderflower to beverages, cakes, and sorbets is to extract the flavor and aroma of the flowers by making Elderflower Syrup. Although easy to make, it does need to sit in your fridge and macerate for a couple of days before it is ready to use. To make Elderflower Syrup you can either harvest fresh flowers, or use our organic dried elderflowers. Once made, Elderflower Syrup is the key ingredient in the following recipes, all of which are guaranteed to knock your socks off!
Elderflower Sorbet is cold, refreshing, and out of this world. Don't be intimidated by the name; this sorbet is super easy to make in your freezer; no ice cream maker required!
Elderflower Lemon Cake is a quick make, light and delicious and perfect for an afternoon tea, Sunday Brunch, or classy dessert.
Elderflower Sour Our version of a sour cocktail is simple and fresh. The lovely floral taste of elderflowers hits the palette first, followed by the sour taste of lemons..out of this world good!