Weekend cooking: Elder blossoms
A couple of weeks ago we went to the annual Elder Blossom Festival 
in one of the surrounding villages. The specialty there are deep fried elder blossoms. Not that they are anything too delicious, they taste like, um, deep fried something, but it sure is a nice and romantic idea. This is what the dish looked like:
At the festival the drink of choice would be either elder water or elder liquor. Elder water is quite tasty and has a certain flavour that I had never met before. At the same time it is very refreshing. It’s the perfect drink for hot days when plain water just isn’t good enough.
I had a look around for a recipe and found a very simple one. This is not for syrup that needs to be diluted later, but this is ready made to drink.
Elder water
Ingredients:
- 7 large elder blossoms
- 5 l water
- 250g sugar
- 3 untreated lemons
Boil water with sugar and pour over elder blossoms. Cut lemons into strips and add to it. Let rest over night. Pour through a very fine sieve and bring to a boil again. Fill up into bottles.
Some recipes add a little bit of vinegar. I suppose this depends on the personal taste.
Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads
Elder blossom image from flickr.
Elder Water is a whole new idea to me but it actually sounds like it would be very refreshing. I don’t know where I would find elder blossoms here in northern California but, who knows. It’s a lovely thought for a hot summer day.
Hi!
It does sound refreshing. But sorry to say no elder blooms around here. Have a great day!
Sherrie
Just Books
Sherrie’s last post ..REVIEW – CHICKEN A LA KING & THE BUFFALO WING
sounds nice….only where the heck will I get elder blossoms?
caite@a lovely shore breeze’s last post ..Weekend CookingA Study in Baklava
Don’t know about Elder blossoms, sounds like an interesting drink. Vinegar? Deep fried looks good, LOL @ your description
I have had elderflower cordial a few times, it’s always lovely and refreshing. Interesting to see it deep fried!
Is this the same plant that generates the elderberry for elderberry wine? Elderberry wine is featured in Arsenic and Old Lace (a movie we watch every year on Halloween) and an Elton John song.
Joy Weese Moll’s last post ..Book Review- The Very Best of Recipes for Health by Martha Rose Shulman
I would love that elder water or elderberry wine but deep-fried blossoms?? Not sure that’s my thing (not the eating flowers, but the fact that they were deep fried).
Beth F’s last post ..Weekend Cooking- Food and the Arts
I have heard of eating flowers, but not deep-fried flowers.
I do love elderberry jam though
TheBookGirl’s last post ..Another winner from Other Press- Review and Giveaway
I wasn’t aware that quite a lot of you wouldn’t have access to elder, when we went to the festival we never even thught about the fact that it doesn’t grow everywhere. We just take it for granted.
I know, eating flowers is already unusual, but eating them deep fried is a bit strange. It killed any other flavour. Definitely not for everybody.
I’m another who doesn’t know Elder. It does sound like a refreshing drink.
Heather’s last post ..Recipe Thursday – Simply Salad