What To Do With Elder Flowers

The berries and flowers of elderberry are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that may boost your immune system.

What to do with elder flowers. In hungary, an elderberry brandy is made that requires 50 kg of fruit to produce 1 litre of brandy. Since egyptian times, topical infusions of elder flowers have been used to reduce facial wrinkles and lighten freckles and age spots. Elder is also a great source for a variety of coloured dyes and historically it was used to.

Elder flowers, also called european elder, have a long history of use in traditional german medicine. They have antioxidant properties and an antiviral effect, which is why they're still popularly used to help fight off colds and flu. The flowers are just on the edge of coming out now, unless you can find some elder in a very sunny spot, but this is a project that you could do over half term, or make a new batch each week with just a few flowers each time.

After planting, be sure to water them so they get a good start. Elder flowers can be brewed as an herbal tea. The flowers are often used to make wine, cordial or tea, or fried to make fritters.

The first thing to keep in mind that some flowers naturally last longer than others. Dried elder flowers and tinctures made from the fresh or dried flowers are readily available in stores that sell herbal products. The flowers also may be dipped into a light batter and then fried to make elderflower fritters.

The berries may be made into elderberry wine. Flowers steeped in oil were beneficial for diaper rashes. Elderflower has been used to treat sinusitis, constipation, colds, the flu, coughing, inflammation, laryngitis, and diabetes.

Infusions were also included in creams for chapped hands and added to baths for sunburns. Add them to your water kefir or kombucha blends; Common elder, sambucus nigra, bears sprays of tiny white flowers in early summer followed by small black fruit which can be cooked and eaten, or used to make a refreshing summer drink.