[Pip Judgeford]

Last year I discovered how good elderflower syrup is with gin or soda water

I have only 2 youngish elderberry bushes and its hard to pick a recipe-worth of flowers all at once. (My reciple is 20 flowers in 2 litres of water etc)  I have discovered you can pick and freeze the flowers OK.  I label each bag of flowers with how many flowers is in it.  Then come the weekend when I have more time, I make a batch or a double batch of cordial.  My neighbour makes elderberry champagne (which I can't seem to make for nuts!) and we swap.

I think of elderberry as a weed (the birds poop out seeds any old where) but now I am weeding around and liming my bushes (not much lime but my soil is acidic) and getting more flowers than ever.

Pip

[arugula]

Hi Pip,

Freezing is a good tip for saving the flowers. My Dad used to have elderflower wine in his home-made wine repertoire and as you observe, this is a good way to build up a workable stock.

[jimbeekeeper]

This reminds me I have a few bags in the freezer from this year, will start is soon for xmass.

[Pip Judgeford]

This reminds me I have a few bags in the freezer from this year, will start is soon for xmass.

How long do you think they are good for in the freezer?  I had assumed only a couple of weeks but yours must be a few months, jimbeekeeper?

Also (is this crazy?) my neighbour tells me the reason the elderflower champagne works is that the wide flat plate of the elderberry flower catches lots of wild yeast and this makes the champagne go.  So I wondered if you could use the water from soaking elderflowers as the water for making a sour dough starter?  Has anyone done this? 

-pip

[compostqueen]

I have an elderflower hedge down the side of my lotty    It's a beauty. I trim it back a bit each year and it looks a picture. I give loads of flowers and berries away as there are far too many for me to use up

Don't forget you can make fritters with it, and fools

[SG6]

Home brew shop sell dried elderflowers.
Might be easier.

[matilda333]

Hello Pip,

I heard something similar about the yeast in elderflowers...im not sure about the 'wild yeast' part, but apparently if you pick the flowers on a sunny bright day they will produce more yeast than if picked on a cloudy day. So, more sun should equal more fizz
Definitely worth a try with the sour dough starter..

[MoreWhisky]

Im planning to make lots lots more champagne next yr, cant wait )