Before the elderflower season ends, let me share a little recipe with you, namely elderflower sugar. The idea came from my daughter Linda. For years now, I’ve been saying I want to make sugar with lilac flowers. I’ve often seen it online, and I’m fascinated by its purple color. However, I’ve never found lilac flowers in the wild, except in someone’s private garden, and it didn’t seem right to pick them. So, when my husband brought a crate of elderflowers for Mother’s Day to make syrup and jelly, Linda said, “Why don’t you make elderflower sugar instead of lilac flower sugar?” Said and done. And I must say, the result is very satisfying! I use it both in tea, where it releases the aroma of elderflower, and to flavor cake or crepe batters instead of vanilla. Besides being a great ingredient to flavor various dishes, it’s definitely a more economical way to do so compared to vanilla ;).
So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of it now!
If you like elderflower, also try these recipes of mine:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 3 Days
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 500 g
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 15 elderflower heads
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
Steps
Preparing elderflower sugar is really easy!
First, put a thin layer of sugar on the bottom of a wide baking dish. Then lightly tap the elderflower heads on a cutting board to remove any insects and place them on the sugar in the dish, with the stems facing up. Make sure not to wash them, otherwise much of the aroma will disappear!
When you’ve covered the bottom of the dish with elderflower heads, add the remaining sugar, distributing it over the flowers and letting the stems stick out of the sugar. Cover everything with a fine-mesh net or a cloth that allows air to pass but keeps any insects and dust away.
Place the dish in a dry place for 2-3 days.
After 2-3 days, the sugar will likely have absorbed some moisture from the flowers and become compact and partially crystallized. At this point, preheat the oven to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (convection), then with the help of a fork, gently break up the sugar and remove the elderflower heads from it and any stems.
Place the dish with the sugar in the oven and wedge a wooden spoon handle in the oven door to leave a small gap. Leave the elderflower sugar in the oven at 120 degrees for 30-60 minutes, breaking it up occasionally with a fork until it is “dried.”
Then transfer the sugar to airtight jars and store it in a cool, dry place.
If desired, you can also put it in the mixer for a moment, or in the mixer, reduce it to powdered sugar if you prefer.
Tips
Elderflower sugar is excellent for flavoring cake, muffin, and crepe batter, but also for adding to tea.
