Have you ever sampled the taste of elderflowers? I hadn’t, and I have been wanting to for a whole year, ever since I read a fascinating post at Ragged Roses, a blog from Sussex by the Sea. I gather that the flowers are ready for picking at the end of June each year and that’s when people go into elderflower production, much like we do here in strawberry season. But instead of jam, elderflowers are made into a cordial beverage.
Imagine my delight when I found an elderflower drink packaged for sale at IKEA. These elderflowers were grown in Sweden, not England, but close enough. So today when I arrived home from work on this afternoon filled with sunshine, I decided that this would be the perfect time to sample it.
To pay proper tribute to such a momentous occasion, I decided to serve the drinks on a wee table in the garden. To set the stage and heighten the enjoyment of my very first ever taste of elderflowers, I added a blue gingham cloth and some flowers to the scene. Since I didn’t have any elderflower blooms I made do with some wild Queen Anne’s lace which look similar, sort of. Finally, the moment had arrived. My youngest and I raised our glasses and took a sip. I found the taste to be sweet and delicate and very refreshing. My son, on the other hand, cringed and put down his glass. So there you have it, two different reactions. Why not try it for yourself?
You can read Ragged Roses' account of making elderflower cordial and view some lovely photos of the process at http://raggedroses.blogspot.com/2009/06/summer-in-glass.html
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