Elderflower Syrup and Cordial
May 24th, 2009 | By Hank Shaw | Category: Foraging, French, Recipe | Comments | 37 Comments |
May is a wonderful month. Flowers are everywhere, fishing is getting into gear and the summer garden is laden with promise. Foraging can be a little thin in my neck of the woods, however, although there is one delight to be had: Elderberry flowers. After getting the lay of the land along the American River earlier this month, I returned recently with a purpose: To make elderfower syrup and elderflower cordial.
Finding the buttercream flowers isn’t too tough: Elderberries grow everywhere near rivers, and the American River is loaded with bushes big and small. As May fades into June, the flowers are nearing the end of their bloom here — so if you live in Northern California, get on it fast or you will miss out.
A good rule to live by is to not take more than a few flower heads from each elderberry bush: This ensures that the bush will have enough to spread itself, makes you find more bushes — it’s never a good thing to have only one spot for anything you forage for — and, most importantly, selective picking means you can come back in a few months for the berries.
Only choose the most beautiful flower heads; you don’t want flowers that have yet to open or are past their prime. Collect them in a paper bag so they can breathe — plastic will make them wilt and sweat.
You will need a lot of flowers to make cordial and syrup, and even then the flavors of these sunny drinks are subtle. What does it taste like? It is more of an aroma thing, although the elderflower “lemonade” I am drinking right now has a certain tannic backbone to it that says it is not just lemonade.
Photo by Holly A. Heyser
It does look like lemonade, doesn’t it? There’s a reason. At right is elderflower syrup, the base of the drink. You make it by preparing a simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water), bringing it to a boil and pouring it over lemon zest, a little lemon juice, LOTS of elderflowers, and a little citric acid, which adds flavor and keeps everything stable. You let this sit at room temperature for 2-4 days to macerate, and the result after you strain it through cheesecloth is this lovely-looking syrup.
I add about a tablespoon of the syrup to a pint of water to make a drink with the level of flavor Gatorade has; add more syrup for a stronger drink. It tastes a lot like an Arnold Palmer (50-50 iced sweet tea and lemonade), but as elderflowers are known to be seriously good for you, I like this better.
Holly added some syrup to vodka to make an “Elder-tini,” which, when added to some cherries (also in high season right now), make probably the first cocktail I’ve ever featured on Hunter Angler Gardener Cook.
Elderflower syrup is also excellent mixed with Champange (a classic), and its Italian cousin Prosecco. Heather makes a drink called a Caddisfly Nymph, which is elderflower syrup, Prosecco and a touch of Peychaud bitters.
Me? I prefer the hard stuff, which is why I am in the process of making an elderflower cordial or liqueur. Basically this is an infused vodka with some sugar, but I scored some fancy-schmancy French vodka made from grapes that is almost like grappa in aroma; it is the ghost of grappa.
I stuffed a Mason jar full of the prettiest flowers and covered them with this vodka, and it will rest in my cupboard until the berries from the plant it came from turn ripe. Then I will strain it and add sugar and let that sit for a month or so. By then the weather ought to be turning, and I will want to remember those heady days of May, where everything is in bloom, the air smells floral — and the shad are in the river. More on them later…
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ELDERFLOWER SYRUP
This floral, sweet-smelling syrup is a perfect match with seltzer water or, better yet, champagne. I add lemon to my elderflower syrup to give it some zing, but the aroma is all elderflower. It is a delicate scent, very sweet and just a bit spicy.
The two difficulties in making this syrup are time and one special ingredient: Citric acid. You need this to help keep the syrup from molding up on you in the fridge; it also adds acidity to the cordial as well (as you might imagine from an acid…) You can find it at any brew shop, or buy citric acid online.
As for time, you need to infuse the flowers for at least 2 days, preferably three; I have seen other recipes that call for four days, but you might get spontaneous fermentation holding it that long.
Makes about 1 quart.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
- 1 quart water
- 4 cups sugar
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons citric acid
- 25 elderflower heads
- Snip off the flowers from the stalks into a large bowl or bucket that will hold everything.
- Zest the lemons and add it to the bowl, then the citric acid and lemon juice.
- Bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve.
- Pour the syrup over the flowers, lemons et al and stir to combine.
- Cover the bowl or bucket with a towel and leave it for 2-4 days.
- When you are ready, strain it through a fine-meshed sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean Mason jar. Seal the jar and store in the fridge.
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Seriously, you’ve made my summer! I love elderflower syrup and drinks made with it. You’ve inspired me to hunt down some flowers and try this. The cordial sounds amazing.
There’s a cocktail place here in Seattle that makes a drink with elderflower syrup, grapefruit juice, and gin. Fabulous!
Me too! today is a bank holiday and I’ll be harvesting and making syrup too.
Cheers
SBW
I LOVE elderflower syrup. I had some yesterday after some sweaty hours in the garden. I like it with fizzy water and a squeeze of lime. My latest brainstorm is to see about making an elderflower ice cream. But our elderberry bushes are so new that we may have to wait a few years for the blossoms. I don’t know of any elders growing wild in our area, though some semi-distant friends say they have some growing on their old farm. So maybe a trip is in order when they bloom!
Okay, three things:
1. I am going to do this, possibly today;
2. I’m collecting some green walnuts for a syrup from them – have you ever done anything with green walnuts (nocino?)?;
3. Did somebody say shad?
I was planning on planting some elder this spring but couldn’t get my hands on it. Will have to head on down to the river and take a look around. Also I hear one can make a decent “champagne” with it as well.
Also Josh I made nocino last year and it was awesome. I can’t wait to make it again.
Josh: I have never made nocino, but my Puglian neighbors do, and my friend Elise has a recipe for it on her site. Looking forward to it! And yes, someone mentioned shad…
I have been making syrup & liqueur for years – mostly with fruit and/or herbs, though I have made dandelion wine too. For the last 2 years, I have meant to go gather elderflowers. Thanks for those 2 recipes – a nudge to finally get my butt out and do it this year.
I also love how you describe the resting period: not so many weeks, but “until the berries from the plant it came from turn ripe”.
Thanks for this great article, Hank! Elderflowers are a huge thing in Scandinavia, but I’d never thought that I could find any in the U.S. I may have to find myself a river here in Washington State and see if I can spot some (hoping that I find the right thing and don’t poison us with something else).
My mother bought me some elderflower cordial. It doesn’t taste of much, but the aroma is heavenly- green and floral and very refreshing. My grandmother used to make elderberry wine when the berries turned ripe later in the year.
Well, tonight we will probably go a pickin’. And tomorrow night, after I teach fly casting, I’m out for shad! Hopefully, it’ll go better than yesterday (no fish, lost 6 darts/flies, car broken into and radio stolen).
Found patches of Elderflowers spread around my suburban Houston community. It’s going to be a pain to gather enough from all of them and I wish they were not so spread apart. But I am going to make at least the cordial this coming weekend.
As for green walnuts, I have stashes of both Nocino and Vin de Noix made from them. Both awesome stuff and the Vin is fantastic in cooking (sauces, terrine bases instead of Madeira, sausage making,..)
Thanks for the inspiration Hank!
Hank:
The Rosa Mexicano restaurant empire here in NYC makes a cocktail with elderflower liquer called La Cura… love it. And one of the most incredible drinks I’ve ever had was a homemade elderflower champagne with just a beautiful, clean summer taste.
best
Andrew
Wow!
I am seeing orange blossoms (I think that’s what they are). Can you make syrup out of ob?
I’ve never attempted anything like it before but I am game.
Thank you Hank for all these tips. The elderflower season is just starting ove here in the UK. Can’t wait to try your eldrflower infuse vodka!
Danny uses the syrup a lot in chicken dishes too.
If you can find gooseberries (probably a tall order in this country), they’re delicious with elderflower cream (just whip with a little syrup).
That syrup is beautiful. I’m going to make some this summer, when the trees are in bloom. Thanks for the recipe!
I have Elderflower cordial from Ballymaloe Cooking School in Ireland. 1 part cordial to 8 parts water or white wine…delicious!
The cordial sounds yummy… the flavors from both the flower *and* berry. I’ve made limoncello for the past 6 or 7 years from just the cheapo liquor store-brand vodka and organic lemon rinds and let them sit for 1 yr before mixing it 50/50 w/ simple syrup… this summer will try it w/ any of the local strawberries & other berries I can get from ‘pick your own’ places. Alpine strawberries are hard to find by the handful & not a huge flavor; same w/ blueberries.
[...] other accounts on foraging and making drink with elder blossoms check here (Hank in California) and here (El in Michigan. And of course, those two reminded me I should go after Elder this [...]
I am making a recipe that calls for the elderflower syrup but I am not able to find it. What can I use in place of this. Thank You
what can be used in place of the elderflower syrup in a recipe
My syrup has a funky film on top and sediment at the bottom; even though it has been refrigerated for a month. Is it still safe to enjoy? Is it just fermenting? I was under the impression that the sugar helped preserve it. Any thoughts on this would be helpful. Thanks.
Nturesbliss: Sediment is normal — it’s mostly pollen. Funky film I dunno… Doesn’t sound good. The sugar does help preserve the syrup, but the real preservative is the citric acid. You did use it, right?
Hey I have been interested in finding wild edible plants. I fount some elder berries down by my creek. There were not any flowers, but the berries look the same as all the pictures I see online and in books. My problem is I found another plant, and I am not sure what it is. The berries look exsactly the same as the ones in your picture. I was worried taht they were not elderberrires because they had green stems. But I see the ones you use have them. The flowers are a light purple, not white like yours. Do you have any idea what the plant I found is?
thanks
I am not saying that you also found the poisonous variety of Elderberry, but there is a plant that has larger leaves, and the berries are red, and the umbles (not sure of spelling on umbels) look a little different than the edible Elderberries (Sambuca Niger, I believe). The edible ones are very dark blue color. I don’t remember what the color of the poisonous variety flowers are. I would use caution with the purple flower plant until you identify it.
I have learned from your website one reason that Elder is my favorite plant (the one I planted at my house is 5 years old, and it is huge, and has lots of flowers) may be because I am half Norwegian.
I make a delicious simple syrup from Lemon Verbena (I don’t add any citric acid, and it seems to keep fine. I have had it in the cooler for around 5 months now).
Catharine: There are a few edible elderberries. In California we have sambucus mexicana, which is the blue elderberry. We also have a red berried version in the Sierra, which, while not actually poisonous, is wretched tasting.
So your syrup has not developed mold in five months, yet no citric, eh? You are either lucky, or you added enough sugar to make it a toxic environment for the wee beasties…
Hi, can anyone help me? I made this cordial, fist time this year, end of school summer term, flowers were late this year (in UK) I planned to leave it to settle for 3/4 days but my mum was rushed into hospital 200 miles away and I didn’t get home until today so it rested for 12 days. I was shocked to find mould spots floating on syrup surface. I have skimmed the surface today but am scared to use it, is it any good, would it be ok if I froze it maybe, or is it totally ruined?
If no good as cordial is it possible to turn into anything else like wine, syrup etc? (I did add citric acid) HELP, does anyone have any ideas PLEASE???
Thanks Lolly
Lolly: So you made the alcoholic version and it developed mold? Never heard of such a thing. Were the flowers not submerged?
If you made the syrup, it sounds like it was not in the fridge. I’d toss it. In all likelihood there’s nothing wrong with it once you skim the mold, but better safe than sorry.
Hank: my wife just reminded me that you’d written about elderflower (and that I’d commented on it). But my new found love after our trip to Sweden in February is Hallands Fläder… an elderflower schnapps/aquavit. Still trying to find someplace in the US to buy it and my duty-free bottle is running low!
all best
Andrew
Hello Hank,
Thank you for the wonderful recipes…I’m attempting them both right now. My question: I put the grappa in a jar with the flowers and right away the surface layer began to turn brown. Is this a problem? If so, can I rectify it?
thanks!
Maria from Germany
Has anyone ever come across red elderflower cordial?
I started making some elderflower cordial last night and have noticed that it has turned a pink/red colour. Is this normal? In England our elderflower cordial is always a golden yellow colour. Some of the white flowers have turned red. I collected the flower from the banks of the Po river in Emilia Romagna, Italy and am wondering whether they might be a different type of elderflower and that this is why they are red. But will it be safe to drink?!!
Thank you!
I live in upstate NY where lemons are in “import.” I keep wondering, as I make my dandelion wines etc, if it would work to substitute something like dried sumac or lemon balm for the tart component? I haven’t dared tried yet due to the time/energy/cash it takes to make these recipes already. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
In another ingredient realm, I have had good luck switching out sugar for honey and or maple syrup.
Thanks for the great info!
I’d be very careful about harvesting some of these as the unwary may mistake these edible plants for Water Hemlock, the botanical equivalent of a King Cobra. There is no antidote to the poison this plant produces. The plant is very common in urban areas here around Atlanta.
Thank you Leonard, I think you are right and the ones we picked were Water Hemlock. As we weren’t sure we ditched the whole lot. Since then I have picked what I am 100% sure are elderflowers and am making come cordial (and this time the perfume and colour are right!). Due to this setback, I haven’t been able to collect as many flowers as I wanted as they have now turned to berries. But at least I know where the correct ones are for next year!
[...] parts elderflower syrup, [...]
[...] blossoms popping last weekend, I decided to try making my own syrup. I did a quick search and found this recipe. It calls for citric acid, which I didn’t have on hand. I substituted a packet of EmergenC [...]
[...] with them. With a bit of searching, I found that two of my favorite foraged food bloggers (Hank Shaw and Langdon Cook) posted elderflower syrup recipes! Elder grows wild all over the place! Once I [...]