It's holler time, summer is coming!
The blossom of the black elder heralds the beginning of summer. Wherever people are, there is also an elder, because the elder is considered a protective shrub for every house or yard.
It can also often be seen on the edges of paths and forests, hedges, meadows and clearings. The white, sweet-smelling blossoms can be eaten directly, or fried in a pancake batter as the famous elderberry cakes , or dried and kept as tea for the cold season. Elderflowers, together with linden blossoms or meadowsweet blossoms, make an excellent tea for relieving the symptoms of a cold.
In summer, the syrup also sweetens some cocktails:
- Place 10-15 umbels of flowers in spring or mineral water overnight (approx. 12 hours).
- add a sliced lemon and possibly a few mint leaves
- the next day boil the mixture with 1kg sugar while stirring
- Fill hot into clean glass bottles
- shelf life about 6 months
The leaves, bark and roots are not edible, nor are the raw fruits (must be heated beforehand!).
In winter you can recognize the elder by the grey-black warty bark. These elevations are cork warts and are used for gas exchange.
