10 Elderflower Recipes and Uses (2024)

The elegant elderflower – if you’ve been noticing large, creamy blossoms on forest edges, then you’re probably seeing the flower of the elder. In this post, we are sharing an assortment of elderflower recipes to try yourself. Like us, we hope you find the flower an alluring early-summer resource!

It seems appropriatethat the elder is under the sign of Venus. When you begin working with itsaromatic blooms, it’s easy to understand why the elder means purification and love in the language of flowers. In fact, when standing amid an elder in full bloom, one almost feels the presence of the goddess Venus herself.

Fittingly, the delicateflower helps women remain beautiful; it has been used since ancient Egyptian times for reducingwrinkles and age spots. It also inspired the poet Seamus Heaney when he wrote his Glanmore Sonnets:

He lived there in the unsayable light.

He saw the fuchsia in a drizzling noon,

The elderflowers at dusk like a risen moon

And green fields greying on the windswept heights.

Shamans and medicine people worldwide believed elder was a supportive plant and commonly used it for upper respiratory ailments and topically for skin problems. Traditionally, our herbalist elders, such as Hippocrates, Dioscorides, and Pliney the Elder recognized its strength as a diuretic, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and more. Recent research from Israel and the United Kingdom has confirmed some of these claims.

Elder has long been a human ally – read more about this herb here. And below, you will find an assortment of elderflower recipes and uses to try yourself. Like me, I hope you find the flower an alluring early-summer resource!

When I was in England a few years ago, I ran across a non-alcoholic drink known as “Elder Flower Cordial,” and I fell in love. When I came home, I experimented until I came up with this recipe:

Elderflower Cordial

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Ingredients

Thirty ounces of water
Four to five elderberry umbels, with most of the stems removed

Directions

  • Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat.
  • Add the elderberry umbels to the water, cover, and let stand for several hours.
  • Strain the flowers and measure the water before returning it to a clean pot.
  • Add the same amount of sugar as you have liquid and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Chill.
  • Add the syrup mixture to sparkling water to taste.

I fill jars 2/3 full of this syrup and freeze it for winter use. I’ve used it on pancakes and in cake mixes. It makes a wonderful punch, too.

10 Elderflower Recipes and Uses (1)

Elderflower Fritters

Making fritters is one of my favorite ways to enjoy elderflowers. All you need is fresh elder flowers and pre-made pancake mix. A variety of recipes can be found in old cookbooks, or use the one in this post:

http://theherbalacademy.com/2015/06/the-joy-of-harvesting-and-using-elder-flowers/

Elderflower Vinegar

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Ingredients

Vinegar (apple cider, white wine, or champagne all make excellent choices)
Elder flowers

Directions

  • Fill a jar with fresh elder flowers.
  • Cover with vinegar.
  • Let sit for at least a month, strain, and pour the infused vinegar into a sterilized bottle.

When I make an elderberry oxymel, I use elder-infused vinegar. You can do the same thing with elixirs and elder flower honey.

Elder Flower Evening Beverage

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Ingredients

5 fresh elder flowers
A few springs of lemon balm
Peels from one lemon
Vodka
Sugar

Directions

  • Remove elder stems and put the flowers in a glass jar, along with the lemon balm and lemon peel.
  • Add enough vodka to cover and let sit for at least two weeks.
  • Strain flowers from vodka.
  • Add a sugar syrup (to taste) and let sit at least two more weeks.
  • Serve this delicious beverage over ice.

10 Elderflower Recipes and Uses (2)

Elderflower for Allergy Support

Allergies are troublesome for many of us, especially during this time of year. Check out these six plants that may offer support, with instructions on how to use them:

http://theherbalacademy.com/2015/05/allergy-home-remedies-for-families/

10 Elderflower Recipes and Uses (3)

Formula for Hot & Moist Cold/Flu

This cold and fever tea formula, made with five common plant allies, is one to make this summer. That way, you’ll be ready for cold and flu season when it arrives.Find instructions here:

http://theherbalacademy.com/2014/07/yarrow-as-a-natural-remedy-for-fever-and-flu/

10 Elderflower Recipes and Uses (4)

Elderflower Wine

You may have heard of elderberry wine, but there many ways to make wines using ingredients you probably have growing right in your own backyard.Check out these seven plants and let the winemaking begin!

http://theherbalacademy.com/2015/04/turn-these-7-herbs-and-flowers-into-country-wine/

Elderflower Tea – Always a Wise Choice

If you’ve never collected elder flowers or made an elderflower tea, you’re in for a treat. Learn how to harvest elderflowers and transform them into a lovely beverage!

http://www.thedancingherbalist.com/#!Edlerflower/chwf/5506f4950cf2458597d0705a

10 Elderflower Recipes and Uses (5)

Three-Flower Vinegar

This vinegar is wonderful for the skin! This recipe calls for lavender buds, rose petals, and elderflowers. Learn how to make this skin-soothing vinegar here:

http://www.indieherbalist.com/blog/three-flower-vinegar-first-aid-for-skin

Elderflower Sorbet

This tasty sorbet is made with gooseberries, honey, and elderflowers. In addition to the sorbet recipe, you’ll find four more ideas for using elderflowers to make elderflower vinegar, champagne, infused almond milk, and elderflower pancakes. Get all the recipes in this post.

http://www.wildplantforager.com/blog/5-delicious-elder-flower-recipes-other-than-just-syrup

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10 Elderflower Recipes and Uses (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with elderflowers? ›

Easy elderflower recipes
  1. Elderflower, thyme and lemon ice lollies. ...
  2. Elderflower and raspberry mocktail. ...
  3. Elderflower drizzle cake with gooseberry and almond. ...
  4. Elderflower-cured mackerel with tomato consommé ...
  5. Elderflower ice cream. ...
  6. Elderflower and kiwi pavlova. ...
  7. Chilled, mulled elderflower wine.

What are the culinary uses of elderflower? ›

Elderflower is delicious mixed into cakes, tarts, trifles and jams. It pairs particularly well with tart fruits such as rhubarb and gooseberries. From casual nibbles to celebratory showstoppers, we have a whole host of fantastic floral recipes.

What is elderflower What is it used in? ›

Elderflower is the flower of the elder tree. An extract of the flower is used to make medicine. Elderflower is used for common cold, flu (influenza), swelling (inflammation) of the nasal cavity and sinuses (rhinosinusitis), and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

What does elderflower pair well with? ›

The lightly sweet nuances of elderflower blend well with many other natural fruit flavors and botanicals, including honey, pear, blackberry, strawberry, grapefruit, orange, lime, passionfruit, ginger, and even herbal flavors like rosemary, basil, and lemongrass.

Can you eat raw elderflowers? ›

The flowers and berries are the only edible part of the plant. They are mildly toxic and have an unpleasant taste when raw. Cooking destroys the toxic chemicals. Elderflowers are ready around late May to mid-June.

How do you harvest and use elderflower? ›

On a cool sunny morning, cut the elderflower clusters off, when the dew on the freshly opened individual flowers has dried off, and place them loosely in a basket. Use the harvested elderflowers as soon as possible, otherwise they will wither.

What is dried elderflower good for? ›

These dried elderflowers can be used in almost every recipe you use fresh in from cordial to champagne, sorbet, cakes, icing, ice cream, ice lollies and much more these are the perfect thing to use.

What is made from elderflower? ›

Elderflower cordial is a soft drink made largely from a refined sugar and water solution and uses the flowers of the European elder (Sambucus nigra L.). Historically, the cordial was popular in Northwestern Europe where it has a Victorian heritage.

How do you use elderflower herbs? ›

You can pick and dry the flower heads for use in winter to help with runny noses and fever management - pair it with thyme and peppermint for a lovely infusion. In summer pair elder with mint in a cold infusion - add the plant material to cold water and leave for a few hours before drinking.

Why is elderflower so expensive? ›

Because it is very expensive to bring flowers to market. Cut flowers are a global business. They are grown on another continent, harvested by hand, and rapidly shipped long distances under refrigeration. Because flowers are delicate they require extra care and handling along the way.

What are the disadvantages of elderflower? ›

Elderflower is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when used in excessive amounts. Some parts of the elderflower plant contain a cyanide-producing chemical which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Cooking removes this chemical. Not enough is known about the safety of applying elderflower directly to the skin.

Is elderflower a natural laxative? ›

The elder flowers and berries have a mildly laxative effect. As with other elder plants, the elderflower has positive effects on the immune system. This may be due, in part, to the vitamin C and beta-carotene content of the berries.

What does elderflower taste like? ›

By itself, the elderflower flavor profile is described as a uniquely fresh, fruity, green and slightly floral with subtle pear, lychee and tropical nuances. Such a profile that blends the different (unique floral) with the familiar (pear) and interesting (lychee) is often the foundation for broader appeal.

Are elderflowers good for you? ›

Elderflowers have been known to support a healthy immune system and reduce fever. Elderflowers are a relaxant and a diaphoretic that can reduce mild to high fevers. The compounds within the flower induce sweating by working on sweat gland activity and lower fever.

Is there a difference between elderflower and elderberry? ›

Compared to elderflower, elderberry has a more intense taste: woodsy and floral, with a dark flavor that can be bitter and earthy when the fruit is consumed raw.

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