Did elderflower season start last longer last year? I don’t know about you but I think I have blinked and missed it. I don’t even remember walking around the allotment inhaling the wondrous scent. I think that may be because they’ve moved the manure right next to the tree!
An ancient and wondrous plant
A couple of months ago, I went on a foraging walk with Monica Wilde. We passed an elder tree and she stopped to explain the medicinal qualities. I was fascinated at how old some of the remedies dated back to. She explained that the roots of the tree can be used as a diuretic and the leaves and flowers are used for tea which was a ‘cure-all’ for coughs, colds and general nasal inflammation. As she spoke I remembered also my trip to Kentwell Manor in Suffolk where the power of elderflower did somewhat help relive my hay fever symptoms and itchy eyes. I think I would need to get over all the sneezing from the pollen before any of that was effective sadly. Nay. Elderflower medicine is not for me.
Perfect Pairings
My interests lie in devouring it! I managed to find enough sprigs to pair with lemon in my Elderflower and Lemon Marmalade. Which was the luscious filling for a simple Victoria Sponge cake this weekend.
But here are some wonderful recipes I’ve been drooling over and experimenting with that pair elderflower with different botanicals that you might also like.
- Monica Shaw’s Strawberry and Elderflower Fruit Leather
- Gin, Cucumber and Elderflower Lollies – I must confess I have not tried these in lolly form but the combination is bloody marvellous as a G&T variation
- Elderflower Marshmallows by Bill Granger
- Elderflower and Kiwi Pavlova by Twigg Studios
- Elderflower and Orange Zest Ice Cream by Ruby Violet
I’ll keep pinning some more ideas onto my dedicated Elderflower Pinterest Board as it seems to be very on trend to forage this year so this ancient flower is very much in the spotlight.
What’s your perfect elderflower pairing? Do you still have elderflower near where you live?