Just because fall is here, doesn't mean that everyone is looking for apple cinnamon and pumpkin exclusively. Some people are still looking for that floral touch to cocktails, breads, and sweets. The perfect floral touch always has been and always will be a bit of elderflower.
- Elderflower extract is often used to make medicine for swollen sinuses, colds, flu, and bronchitis.
- You can use elderflower in your eyes to help reduce red eye
- Drinking tea containing elderflower reduces constipation
- Elderflower can also help you keep healthier looking skin
Recipes:
Elderflower Muffins with Honey (growforagecookferment.com)
- 2 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/2 cup Whole Milk Yogurt
- 1/4 cup Sourdough Starter or whole milk yogurt
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup Butter, melted
- 2-4 tablespoons fresh Elderflowers or Dried Elderflowers
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a muffin tin with butter.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, yogurt, sourdough starter (if using), eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth. Then whisk in the melted butter.
Add the dry ingredients and the elderflowers to the wet ingredients and gently fold it all together, being careful to not overmix.
Divide the muffin batter evenly into the buttered muffin tin. You can sprinkle a few more elderflowers on top before baking if you'd like.
Bake in preheated oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Top with a sprinkle of fresh elderflowers before serving, if desired.
Elderflower Honey Green Iced Tea (theoldwomanandthesea.com)
Elderflower Syrup
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/2 Lemon, sliced
- 1 cup dried Elderflowers
Green Iced Tea
- 6 cups Water
- 6 Bags Green Tea
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1 Lemon, sliced
In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat. In a mason jar, add the dried elderflower and lemon slices. Pour the hot water over the top and seal the top. Let sit in a cool spot overnight.
Take a small colander and line it with two to four layers of cheesecloth. Slowly pour the syrup through the colander, using the back of a spoon to squeeze the syrup through the discarded elderflowers (NOTE: empty the colander in the trash as needed as you filter the syrup).
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot. Add the honey and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and add 6 bags of green tea to the pot. Let sit for about 5 minutes and the carefully remove and squeeze the excess liquid from the tea bags. Discard.
In a large pitcher, add ¼ cup of the elderflower syrup, or more to taste. Add in the sliced lemon, the four remaining cups of water and the two cups of green tea. Fill the pitcher with ice and stir to combine.
Grapefruit and Elderflower Cocktail (gimmesomeoven.com)
- 2 ounces Gin
- 2 ounces Grapefruit Juice
- 1 ounce St. Germain
- Ice
- Optional: Fresh Sprig of Rosemary, Tarragon, Lavender or Sage to garnish
- Combine the gin, grapefruit juice and St. Germain in a cocktail shaker with a few cubes of ice, and shake for 10 seconds to combine.
- Strain into a cocktail glass filled with an extra ice cube or two, garnished with a fresh herb sprig if you’d like. Serve immediately.
