23. June 2017 - Anika Semmer
How to Make Elderflower Syrup – Grandmas Delicious Recipe | Recipe
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From May to July, the black elderberry blossoms and it’s time for one of the most delicious recipes from my Grandmother. Aromatic, fruity and natural – this is how to make elderflower syrup! It’s quick and easy!
Elderflowers are healthy, smell delicious and are great for mixing and refining drinks as elderflower syrup. For a glass of elderberry spritzer, mix the elderberry syrup with mineral water in a ratio of about 1:4 – depending on how sweet you like your drink.
As a summer aperitif, a dash of elderflower syrup tastes particularly good in sparkling wine or prosecco. And in addition to many cocktails and drinks in which the syrup is excellent, you can also refine cakes, jams, desserts and salad dressings with it.
When it comes to harvesting the elderflowers and making the syrup, there are a few things to keep in mind how to make elderflower syrup to ensure that the syrup is a success. We have all the important tips for you here.
How to Harvest Elderflowers
Harvesting elderflower umbels to make elderflower syrup yourself
- Don’t harvest from polluted bushes (e.g. by the side of the road) – in Germany, elderberry often grows wild in the forest
- It is best to harvest the elderflowers when it has been dry and sunny for a few days: the rain washes off the pollen and makes the flowers less aromatic
- Do not pick the flower umbels whole, but cut them off with scissors
- Only harvest complete umbels with all flowers fully open
- It is best to use a wicker basket (or bicycle basket) for collecting – the elderflowers spoil quickly in plastic bags!
- Carefully shake out the collected cones outside so that insects fall out
- Swish the elder cones briefly through cold water, shake off the water and leave to dry briefly. When the flowers fall easily from the stems, the elderflowers are dry
- Remove the flowers from the stalks and put them in an impermeable sealable container – this way the essential oils will not evaporate!
Tools and Accessories
- Wicker basket or bicycle basket
- Sharp kitchen knife
- Household scissors
- Storage bottle
How to Make Elderflower Syrup
- Working time: about 30 minutes
- Resting time: 3-5 days
Elderflowers and citrus fruits add flavour
Ingredients for the Elderflower Syrup
- About 40 elderflower umbels
- 4 kg sugar
- 2 litres of water
- 4 organic oranges
- 2 organic lemons
- 50 g citric acid
- Tea towel
- Funnel
Sterilised glass bottles for the finished syrup
Preparation
Bring the 2 litres of water to the boil on the cooker, add the sugar and citric acid, bring to the boil and dissolve in it, stirring constantly.
Wash the lemons and oranges well and slice them.
Remove the shaken, washed and dried elderflowers from the cones and layer them together with the lemon and orange slices in an opaque container, e.g. a saucepan. Now pour the cold sugar syrup over them. (This is important because if you pour the syrup hot over the elderflowers, bitter substances can dissolve and it tastes bitter in the end).
Cover and leave to infuse for 3-5 days in a cool place, e.g. in the fridge. Stir from time to time. Then spread a tea towel over a fine sieve, pour the syrup onto it with a ladle and strain it. Finally, bring the elderberry syrup to the boil again and fill it hot into tightly stoppered bottles.
If you store the elderflower syrup in a cool and dark place, it will keep for about 1 year.
Fresh, home-grown natural products enrich our cuisine in summer. At Abenteuer Freundschaft you will find a seasonal calendar for fruit that tells you which fruit is ripe when and we give tips on collecting mushrooms. Check out even more ideas for summer activities or browse our activities with friends, as a couple of two and as a family with kids.
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