Elderflower Cordial July 2013
I have been beckoned once again to wander
the lanes of Carrick Golloghan by the scents of elderflower and honeysuckle.
Clambering into the heavy growth of the banks I collect this season’s floral
abundance on early mornings. For the last 6-7 weeks the hedgerows have
been smothered in creamy white flowers, first it was hawthorn (Crataegus monogynae) and now the
elderflower (Sambucus nigra) reigns.
It’s only the second year that I have made
the vitamin C rich sweet smelling cordial. For my first batch, I added in other
wildflowers of the laneways including dog rose, honeysuckle and pink clover.
My most recent batch just bottled 3 days ago has the most wonderful pink blush. Truth be told I found the most amazing large cerise pink rose petals of Rosa rugosa growing nearby (beside the N11 and not on a laneway). I remember reading what Culpepper, the 18th Century herbalist said that what your body needs is never far away. Even in modern medicine elderflower plays an important role in skin and eye ointments.
My most recent batch just bottled 3 days ago has the most wonderful pink blush. Truth be told I found the most amazing large cerise pink rose petals of Rosa rugosa growing nearby (beside the N11 and not on a laneway). I remember reading what Culpepper, the 18th Century herbalist said that what your body needs is never far away. Even in modern medicine elderflower plays an important role in skin and eye ointments.
Having tasted the two batches now, it has
made me consider using other rose petals to see how the taste varies with
variety. Elderflower cordial has maybe once again taken me to the hill again and my Mountain Views. I feel an elderberry wine or rosehip syrup post developing....
