Clear Nature

Elderberry Flowers

Floral beauty that you can turn to syrup

In some ways, I’ve become more aware of nature and everything it has to offer as of late. Life used to be busy, but some lifestyle changes along the way provided a new perspective in life for which I’m grateful. One of the beauties of nature I’ve come to experience is the Elderberry flower (Holunderblüten in German).

I learned about the Elderberry flower last year when I was gifted a homemade syrup (Holunderblütensirup) by a dear German friend. She explained how she likes to pick up Elderberry flowers from her nearby hiking trail to bring home and make the syrup. It is delicious in cocktails.

The Elderberry flower blooms from May to July in Germany. I happened to take a different hiking trail route this past week, and lo and behold, I found an Elderberry flower tree.

It instantly reminded me of my friend. I could see her in my mind’s eye picking up the clusters of flowers to make her syrup. I believe the flowers grow black or blue-black berries too, which later on can be used to make jelly. It’s certainly versatile. According to Healthline, there are many health benefits of elderberries, such as vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. I’m not sure how healthy its syrup is due to the amount of sugar, but it’s certainly worth a risk in my opinion in low quantities.

The syrup gives a sort of sweet floral flavor to sparkling wine, but it can be incorporated into pancakes, yogurt, oatmeal, tea, smoothies, and even ice cream. My favorite recipe includes a mix of sparkling wine, Elderberry flower syrup, and a bit of club soda. It’s refreshing in the summer heat. I like to add some fresh strawberries to it as well.

I’m grateful to my friend for introducing these flowers to me, and I always look forward to her bottle of homemade syrup.

Photos and story by © Diana Lotti 2021