Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: titch on June 07, 2009, 15:08

Title: elder flower question
Post by: titch on June 07, 2009, 15:08

this is probably a good enough reason not to google stuff randomly and scare meself ......................
i read that the leaves and bark are poisenous, so when i made my cordial i put in the whole flower heads (inlcuding stalk bits(

am i going to make myself poorly or have i got it ok???

Title: Re: elder flower question
Post by: Val H on June 07, 2009, 15:39

Elder leaves and bark, especially in some varieties, contain a cocktail of chemicals including cyanides that can make you pretty sick. It would have been better if you'd completely removed the flowers from the stems but the amount involved is very small and you'll probably be OK!

Title: Re: elder flower question
Post by: mumofstig on June 07, 2009, 16:51

But you use a small bit of stalk when you dip them in batter and fry them...i've done this and lived :D :D

Title: Re: elder flower question
Post by: titch on June 07, 2009, 18:50

phew, i am still alive !!! i think

but i made quite a lot so far - around 4 litres - 3 of that is frozen....................
making some more this week so will just use the flower heads from now on

thanks

Title: Re: elder flower question
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on June 08, 2009, 12:13

I use the flower heads with a bit of stalk so they don't all fall apart and I'm fine!