In yesterday's post about elderberries, a reader commented that you can batter and fry the aromatic flowers. Incidentally, the Guardian just posted a recipe for elderflower fritters, which they dub "the perfect summertime dessert." Do you have elderflowers you can forage for in your area? Have you ever cooked with them?
We must admit, the idea of submerging the beautiful white flowers in batter and oil didn't appeal to us initially. But this does seem to be a popular way to prepare them, so we're willing to give it a try! In the Guardian recipe, the cook mixed grappa into the batter and dusted the flowers with confectioner's sugar.
• Get the recipe: Elderflower fritters
In a few other variations, Fingers and Toes suggests drizzling honey over the crunchy blossoms, while Good Food Channel pairs them with Greek yogurt. Meanwhile, Dinner for One turns them into pancakes.
Related: Ingredient Spotlight: Elderberries
(Images: Emily Ho, Guardian)
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where do these grow in the US? i want them soOoOoOoOo badly
By sheer coincidence, I am making elderflower fritters *today* using the flowers from our bush outside. They are a gorgeous soft pink.
Hate to say it, but you can batter and fry almost anything and it will be tasty...
That's the beauty, isn't it? ;)
@rhuubarbidoo They grow throughout much of the US. See the USDA page for American black elderberry:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SANIC4
@Emily Ho aw everywhere but washington :( thanks for the website though!
Ahhh, sweet memories of childhood. We had an elderberry bush in the backyard and used to make these all the time. I thought this was unique to our family, but I'm glad to hear others do it too. So yummy!
@rhuubarbidoo Western blue elderberries (Sambucus cerulea/Sambucus mexicana) grow on the west coast all the way from Mexico to British Columbia, so you should be able to grow them in Washington. I have one in my yard in California and it is very hardy. I've used the fruit for syrup, liqueur, and jelly, and the fresh flowers are nice on strawberries and in mimosas, though I let them go to berries this year before I could snag any for liqueur.
They grow FAST and are supposed to fruit best on two year old wood, so a good technique is to prune one third of the wood off each year, the oldest and thickest sections, down to about a foot off from the ground. You'll get new branches out of the base every spring. Even with this treatment my bush is really very treelike.
We had a giant bush in my backyard. The flowers are delicious, but the berries are toxic unless cooked. We used to make jelly from the berries, but I wasn't much of a fan. It's close to a currant flavour, I think they would go well in mixes with cherries or blueberries.