Elderflower Syrup / Elderflower Fritters RECIPES
I never think about them except to pick flowers or berries. No watering, no feeding, no pruning, no care of any kind. That's the beauty of native plants- they are meant to thrive here without any intervention by man. In the future I will list more recipes that use wild plants. I have never had money to go to the store or a u-pick to get fruits for jams and jellies. I need the kind that are free and ready for the taking.
Elderberries are not just amazing for their hardiness. They have been prized since well before the Roman era for medicine, wine, and syrups. In pagan times the bush was called an Elder Tree and it was considered sacred in many cultures. Some believed that the "Elder Mother" lived within and it was bad luck to cut an elder without first asking her permission. Many others believed it to be beloved by the Fey. There is a legend that if you sit beneath an Elder on Midsummer's Eve you will be able to see the fairy processions go by. Ancient herbals claimed that the plant had powers to repel mosquitoes, serpents, toothaches, and other evils.
While warding off evils sounds great, elderberries have been proven to shorten the duration of the flu. A medicine, Sambucol, has been made from the extract and is sold here in America. I simply use my own juice to make a tonic for when we get down, or a tea from the dried flowers and berries. I do not leap blindly into anything, even if it is "all-natural". If I eat the wild item as a food, then I know it is safe to use to medicate with. Yep, elderberries are amazing, and I haven't even gotten to how they taste....
I have made a syrup from honeysuckle flowers for several years and was a bit skeptical that elderflower would be markedly different. A floral taste is a floral taste, right? Nope. It is like comparing honeysuckle to rose. Elderflower had a more sweetly pronounced musk and just an.....elderflower-ness.
Now lest you decide to go out and graze on some elderberries let me tell you that all parts of the plant: root, stem, and leaf are toxic. The berries are mildly so until cooked. I have always tasted some of the raw berries when they ripen and so do my boys. My Granny would say it was a good blood purifier. I'll warn you that the taste is pretty awful. You would think that nothing good could ever come of such a repugnant little berry. But that is the case with almost all wild fruit. Then you cook it and add sugar and, oh! The tastes are like nothing you can find at a grocery store.
Once you have your dear elderberry bushes you will be delighted by huge, saucer-sized flower heads that terminate the branches. At first they will be full of hard-closed little white balls, like threaded French knots tied to each tiny stem.
But these open to exquisitely beautiful individual blossoms that together make up the bloom head. The bloom heads are reminiscent of Queen Anne's Lace, another roadside favorite. The flowers are sweetly musky, this scent is what becomes the taste of the syrup you will make.
Gather about 12-15 umbels (that is the name for the flower heads) snipping the stems right up to where the flower stems begin to spread. I think washing them lessens the pollen and scent, just shake them well over the sink if you think they have any little bugs. Truthfully, little bugs are not big deal. My Granny always said the bug will taste like what it was munching on, and you're going to strain this anyway. This isn't super market homogenized food- you're going wild!
First off, my recipe is a little different than most I have seen. Most begin with boiling syrup and putting in the flowers, or pouring it over them. Here's the thing, you know if you have ever worn perfume that it is given off by your skin the most when you are hot. That's it dissipating into the air. The scent of the elderflower along with the pollen is what makes the flavor. Don't use heat and let most of the yumminess drift away on vapors! Also, I do not use lemon juice or citric acid. I faithfully use lemon juice in my violet jam, simply because the acid makes the most amazing color change in the petals and revives it to a fabulous lavender color. When I make a delicate floral syrup I find that when I use lemon that seems to be the predominate taste. I want pure flower taste, not lemonade.
So, make your simple syrup of 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar. Simmer until all the sugar granules are gone and it is clear. Let it cool to just skin-warm and then pour over flower heads in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with a plate and let sit out for 24 hours to let the room temperature gently coax the flavor from the petals. Next day cover with cling wrap and put the bowl into the fridge, it can ferment if left at room temp too long. Keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. If it is in a clear glass bowl you will see that the liquid is now a golden color and smells lovely. I used a spoon and took a tiny sip and was so delighted by the gentle floral taste.
Now is when you can use the syrup, or you can put it up to use later. I sterilized my jars ( I used super tiny jars because this stuff is like liquid gold) and poured my syrup through a fine metal mesh sieve (bye-bye bugs!) into a pot. I heated the syrup to boiling- not fearing so much now about flavor loss, because it was infused in the liquid. I did not continue to boil for fear of changing the taste; I simply poured it into my jars and canned with hot lids and rings.
What to do with it now you have it? I have heard lots of people use it to flavor waters, or to make mixed drinks. It is lovely as a "dressing" for a mixed fruit salad. You can drizzle it over light cakes like pound or angel. It would be excellent for making delicately flavored desserts such as panna cotta and creme brulee. Or, you could use it on your own Elderflower Fritters.
The fritters make me think of a carnival funnel cake, only flower flavored and meatier. I also sifted powdered sugar over mine because I love that, but the elderflower syrup would be yummy. My recipe is from an old Victoria magazine that I tweaked to my own tastes. I changed the oil to melted butter, and the water to milk, and the results are divine! To see step by step pictures of how to make the fritters, see HERE
Elderflower Fritters
8 heads of elderflowers
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup milk
1 large egg white
veg. oil for frying
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, 2 tbsp. oil, and water until the batter has the consistency of thick cream. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the batter. Put about 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet and bring to high heat. Dip each flower head completely into batter, letting excess drip off, then fry until crisp and golden on both sides. Dust with confectioner's sugar, or drizzle with Elderflower or Elderberry Syrup.
These are just a lot of fun, something special both to make and to eat! You're probably tired of me by now, so I will post the Elderberry Jelly and Elderberry Syrup recipe at a later date.
