Elderflower - Sambucus nigra
Folklore, Elder cordial, Growing Elder, Elder as a food, Medicinal Uses of Elder
By the end of May and the beginning of June the weather really starts to warm up. Summer starts rolling in marked, as always, by the blossoming of the elder-tree. If you want to see some recipes of how to make other elder drinks, such as elderflower champagne and elderflower wine then have a look at our drinks article.
The elder goes by many names including -
• Judas Tree - thought to be the tree Judas Iscariot Hung himself on.
• Pipe tree - It's soft pith can be pushed out leaving a pipe shaped empty stem.
• Black Elder.
• Common Elder
• Bore Tree. Bour Tree. (Fourteenth Century)
• Hylder, Hylantree. (Anglo-Saxon)
• Eldrum. (Low Saxon)
• Ellhorn.
• (German) Hollunder.
• (French) Sureau.
The origin of its name is Anglo-Saxon and stems from the word Æld meaning fire; the hollowed out stems were used to start fires. This origin is quite clear in the Low-Saxon name for the tree ' Eldrum '.
Elder and Folklore
Its Latin name is Sambucus Nigra and botanically it belongs to the honeysuckle ( caprifoliaceae ) family. Elder trees are found almost everywhere in Europe in West Asia and right across North America. Throughout these countries it is stooped in myth and folklore. In the Isle of Man (UK) every cottage had an Elder growing outside it's front door to ward off witches. In Russia, an Elder tree in this position was thought to ward off unwanted or evil spirits.
With this in mind it is somewhat strange that English folklore suggests the elder tree is a favourite form for a witch to take, and if its branches were cut then the witch would bleed. It has also been said that a death in the family would follow the burning of an elder tree, and gypsy folklore warns of bad-luck if its wood is used as kindling.
Growing Elder
Elder can be grown from seed, simply plant the ripe berries in pots outdoors. Plant in drills about 2cm (1 inch) deep. When they have grown to a size that allows you to manage, plant in semi shade. Elder will tolerate most soils; if you have a chalky site then Sambucus nigra is very good.
It is also possible to grow Elder from semi-hardwood cuttings, taken from new growth. A 30cm (1ft) cutting should be taken and placed in a coir, grit and compost mix then wintered in a cold frame or greenhouse. Plant out when th eweather is colder, ready or the following spring.
Elder should be havily cut back in the winter as it can quickly take over your garden!
Container growing
The sambucus nigra 'Aurea' is a good variety to try in a container. Ensure that the containers are large enough and that you can give the plant some shade. Keep well watered in dry weather and feed occasionaly.
Elderflower as a food
As a food it should never be eaten raw as the flowers, like the berries, contain a mildly poisonous alkaloid which is destroyed by cooking. It has widely been used as a food and native Americans would cook them in fritters.
I have cooked cakes using a sponge cake recipe and adding a couple of handfuls of elderflower. The result is very light and very tasty. It has been suggested that they can also be added to muffins and pancakes.
Elderflower fritters
An early summer delicacy and very easy to make.
Ingredients
200g Plain Flower
250ml (half pint) milk
medium sized egg
Elderflower Heads - 2-3 per person - with enough of a stalk to hold onto
50g sugar
Salt and pepper
Mix all the ingredients apart from the elderflower
Heat some oil in a pan or deep fat fryer, Dip flower head in batter and fry until golden brown
A pinch of cinnamon can be added to the batter to add extra flavour and the fritters can be rolled in sugar although this is not always needed if there is sugar in the batter
Elderflower Cordial 
There are countless recipes for elderflower cordial. One for making bulk amounts was once told to me by a Swedish girl. Want to make a smaller amount? • Place a layer of elder flowers in the bottom of a bucket and cover it with a layer of sugar
• Repeat this until the bucket is full
• Cover the bucket's contents with boiling water and leave overnight.
• Strain and bottle the contents of the bottle.
Elderflower cordial can be put in plastic bottles and frozen.
The classic self-sufficient writer John Seymour claims the secret of good cordial is, 'never put too many in your brew' and 'harvest on a sunny day when the fragrance and nectar are at their height'.
It's very cheap to make, with sugar being the most expensive ingredient, so it is worth experimenting with until you perfect your own recipe. The sugar content does seem to be on the high side but as with jams this is ensuring the food is preserved. Other ingredients such as citric acid and lemon juice do appear in many recipes and I usually use a bit of both.
Citric acid can be found in many places such as chemists, some ethnic supermarkets and health food shops. It is worth having a little bag in the kitchen, as it is an antioxidant and will increase the shelf life of many foods I did find when I bought mine I got a strange look from the shop-keeper and I later discovered that citric acid is widely used by heroin addicts.
Medicinal uses of Elder
Elder flower cordial is one of the most delicious drinks, and makes a fantastic home made sorbet for the summer. The flowers are ideal for colds and influenza. They are also good in aiding hay fever. The berries are ripe in autumn and are rich in vitamins A and C.
How To Use
• Use the flowers as an infusion for hay fever.
• Tincture for colds and influenza, use in early spring to reduce hay fever symptons.
• Berries used in syrup from decoction is good for winter colds, mixed with thyme.
