How to forage elderflower
Cut off the flowerheads with a pair of scissors or secateurs. Put the flowers in a basket so that the heads don't get squashed. Insects will have room to escape too, Don't put the heads into plastic bags as they'll quickly wilt and start to go brown. Speed is key from foraging to cooking with them.
It's best to pick the blossom on a warm dry day, leaving the stalk and any leaves behind. You can give them a shake before placing in wide basket. You can rinse the flowers but you'll lose some of the flavour. We suggest placing upended on a white surface or kitchen paper and leave for half an hour so you can see any bugs that have got left behind.
Make sure you remove the flower heads from the stems and discard the stalks. It's important that neither leaves nor stalks end up in your cooking as they can cause an upset stomach.
How to use elderflower in cooking
Elderflowers have a fruity floral green flavour, some say it’s the essence of a British summer. Asides from cordial, which can be used in all manner of dishes, there are a number of interesting recipes that are worth trying. The flowerheads can be used to decorate a cake or pudding. Elderflower is the perfect complement to gooseberries or rhubarb
If you're cooking with elderflower, the most important thing to remember is to use them quickly after they've been picked. Most people know elderflower cordial but there are many other things you can do with a harvest of creamy white flowers.
Freeze flowerheads
Given elderflower's short season, you can freeze the flowerheads. Place up to twenty five heads in a roomy plastic bag and freeze straight away. When you want to use them, just place the flowerhead straight from the freezer into a hot sugar syrup. This ensures that the flowers keep their flavour and prevents them browning once defrosted.
Elderflower tea
To make a cup of elderflower tea, just infuse one or two elderflower heads in some just boiled water and leave for five to ten minutes. Strain before drinking.
“Deliciouly fragrant: the taste of summer
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Best elderflower recipes
Once you start googling, you'll find thousands of delicious recipes that use elderflower. BBC Good Food is a very good place to start looking for recipes. Here we've chosen some of our own favourites, especially the elderflower vinegar that one of the team has made this year.
Elderflower Vinegar
Jamie Oliver
This flavoured vinegar is an excellent way to incorporate elderflower into recipes which brings the taste of an English summer to dressings, marinades and pickles. We've chosen the slower route, where the elderflowers marinade in vinegar. Jamie suggests two weeks but we feel two to three days is better as the flowers are fresher. The key to making this vinegar a success is to make sure you cut off the stalks and use apple cider vinegar as it's just that little bit softer on the palate. Once made, the vinegar will last for up to a year. Get the recipe here.
Elderflower Sugar
Great British Chefs
Recipes don't get much easier than this. All you need do is to submerge a head of elderflower in a jar of sugar. The infused sugar can be used in baking, cocktails or sprinkled over fresh fruit, such as strawberries or raspberries. Get the recipe here.
Chicken Garden Salad with Elderflower Dressing
BBC Good Food
This is a very British green salad with lots of crisp elements, from radishes, sugar snap peas and Little Gem lettuce, with the asparagus adding another layer to the flavours. This recipe uses elderflower cordial in the dressing but if you've made your own vinegar, why not use that instead> You might need to sweeten the dressing a little.Get the recipe here.
Elderflower Fritters with Honey
BBC Good Food
This is different: lightly fried, golden and crunchy battered elderflower heads that you can drizzle with orange blossom honey. If you can use local honey that makes it even better. Get the recipe here.
Elderflower Crunch Cake
BBC Good Food
Here is an English summer in a cake, that's easy to make. This is like lemon drizzle cake but made with elderflower and sugar as the crunchy topping. Get the recipe here.
Thyme, Elderflower and Lemon Ice Lollies
Olive Magazine
Perfect for a hot summer's day, these lollies are a grown up treat to help you cool down under a beating sun. Pop some in the freezer now so you're ready to go when the sun decides to come out. Get the recipe here.
Elderflower & Lime Cheesecake
House & Garden
This is a recipe that is made on repeat here. From Easter onwards, this pretty looking cheesecake can be served alongside seasonal fruits, from rhubarb in April to raspberries and blackberries in August/September. We reckon that this recipe is enough for eight to ten people and it is best made the day before you want to eat it. Get the recipe here.
Elderflower Delight
River Cottage
Just like Edmund in The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, we find that we can be easily bribed into anything by the promise of Turkish Delight. This hedgerow version is utterly irresistible, its delicate flavours working beautifully with the gelatine for a subtle and ultra-tempting treat. Well worth risking being turned to stone for. Get the recipe here.
Elderflower drinks
Elderflower Cordial
Jamie Oliver
There is something about making your own elderflower cordial, which tends to trump shop bought. It's relatively easy, with this recipe calling for elderflower, caster sugar, runny honey and unwaxed lemons. Some recipes call for citric acid to preserve the cordial but Jamie's doesn't so it's properly natural. You can freeze elderflower cordial to use over a year or freeze into ice cube trays. Get the recipe here.
Elderflower Gin
BBC Good Food
Here's a delicious elderflower-infused gin to serve with a premium tonic water and lots of ice. The ingredients are infused for 24 hours, strained and then the gin is ready to drink. The gin lasts for up to a month. Get the recipe here.
Elderflower Champagne
WildFood UK
Nothing beats a glass of chilled elderflower fizz. It makes a perfect light, sparkling drink for summer days, plus it's easy to make. It creates quite a bit of gas, so if you do make it, be mindful that you'll need to release some of the bubbles, to prevent build up. WildFood recommends you use plastic bottles, erring on safety's side. Get the recipe here.
Elderflower products to buy
Elderflower Cordial
Belvoir Farm
Belvoir Farm has been making its traditional elderflower cordial since 1984, based on a family recipe. Crafted from masses of hand-picked elderflowers for a naturally delicate floral taste, this is our favourite shop-bought cordial. Buy it here
Elderflower Tonic Water
Fever-Tree
Renowned Fever-Tree tonics can be happily consumed on their own without adding a gin or vodka. Fever-Tree takes great care with its tonic, blending the essential oils from handpicked English elderflowers with quinine of the highest quality from the 'fever trees' of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is a delicious, floral variation of an Indian tonic water. Buy it here.
Elderflower Liqueur
Edinburgh Gin
This aromatic gin liqueur with an exquisitely sweet, floral bouquet complements bright sparkling wine or light tonic garnished with a sprig of mint. Or you could pour a little over strawberries or a really good vanilla ice cream. Buy it here.
