I love elderflowers, the blossoms from the Sambucus Nigra, the elder tree, which is widespread in our woods. They are clusters of tiny, cream-colored flowers that fan out to look like fluffy, delicate lace. Besides their beautiful appearance, the best thing about elder flowers is their smell, which is very distinctive: fresh, sweet, and tart all together. And they taste just like they smell.
How do I know?
Last summer I made elderberry jam, but I wasn't very happy with it (Rebecca was the only one in the family who liked it). So, this year I decided to start our elder tree foraging activities earlier in the season, and pick flowers instead of berries. I used them to make elderflower syrup, to mix with water for cool summer drinks.
We used this recipe, which has excellent instructions, but adjusted the quantities to fit my glass jar.
Drinking a bouquet of flowers is quite a refreshing experience!
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Thank you Renee for hosting "Friday's Flowers": Pick some flowers, arrange 'em pretty, take a photo, post it to your blog, visit Friday's Flowers to share it with us.
