Here’s how to use the flower of May in your cooking: 4 recipies with elderflower

The elderflower is one of the most significant and beloved flowers of May. It is one of the most common plants in Hungary that you can find almost everywhere in the countryside.

Apart from using its dark purple berry, (which is poisonous in itself) as raw material for medicine manufacturing, its fragrant white flower is also full of vitamins and is a popular ingredient in syrups, jams and lemonade. Its characteristic flavour is associated with childhood memories and summer vacations for many people. We collected some of the most popular ways of preparing it below, so you can get a taste of the summer.

Elderflower lemonade

Photo: depositphotos.com

Elderflower’s sweet flavour goes well with lemon’s sourness in general. One of the most popular ways of using the flower is, not surprisingly, in a lemonade. Served with ice, it is truly a refreshing drink in the summer that will probably soon become one of your favourites.

Ingredients:

• 5 litre water
• 400 g sugar
• 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons of citric acid
• 8-10 elderflower heads

Preparation:

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and leave it for a night to set. Serve with ice.

Elderflower syrup

Photo: depositphotos.com

Another favourite is the elderflower syrup, which you can also season your drinks with (e. g. lemonade, or any alcoholic beverage) for a unique taste. The non-alcoholic version consists of syrup, sparkling water, a few slices of lemon, and ice.

Ingredients:

• 1 litre water
• 1000 g sugar
• 1 lemon
• 10 elderflower heads
• 10 g citric acid

Preparation:

1. To make a syrup, boil the water with the sugar. Cool it down. Pour it into a jar.
2. Leave it to rest for five days in a cold, dark place.
3. Close the lid with plastic wrap and put the cap on. Kept in a cold, dark place, it stays fresh for months.

Elderflower fritters

Photo: depositphotos.com

It might seem unusual to deep fry a flower at first, but it absolutely worth a try. Elderflower fritters taste similar to pancakes, but the flowers give this delicious dessert a unique taste. You can dust them with powdered sugar, or drizzle them with honey, but they go really well with any kind of jam or compote like rhubarb or any seasonal fruit. You can also serve them with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 10 elderflower heads
• flour
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 dl cream
• 0.5 lemon
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 vanilla sugar
• oil

Preparation:

1. Wash the flowers carefully, and let the water drip down afterwards.
2. Beat the eggs with the cream, then mix them with vanilla sugar, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and lemon peel. Add flour to the mixture until it becomes thick, similar to pancake batter.
3. Half-fill a saucepan with oil, then heat it. Gently put the elderflower heads (one by one) into the batter, and carefully put them into the oil. Press them down a little, this way the flower head will open up. Turn them around in the oil occasionally and cook them until both sides are golden brown. Drain them on kitchen paper.
4. Serve it with powdered sugar or with a drizzle of honey. Best when it is still a little bit warm.

Elderflower jelly

Photo: depositphotos.com

Ingredients:

• 12 elderflower heads
• 1 lime
• 1 litre apple juice
• 40 dkg canning sugar

Preparation:

1. Mix the apple juice with the juice of the lime. Put the washed flowers into the mixture and put it into the fridge for 24 hours.
2. The next day, take the flowers out of the juice and squeeze them to get any remaining liquid out. Pour the sugar into the mixture and cook it until it boils, then keep cooking it for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Pour it into 2,5 dl jars to cool down.

Read also:

• 3 effortless Hungarian desserts to beat the heat
• Budapest’s world-famous pastry shop Ruszwurm may close its doors forever – Read here

Source: mindmegette.hu