Elderflower Cordial

ravenlooney

Duh ...it seems that its cow parsley littering my garden:o but now im elderflower in the brain so need to go and hunt some down!! Would you reccomend the Collins Gem food for free book then Squeaky?

squeaky

Yes, gladly. It tells you which part of which flowers you can eat and when and often gives tips on preparation too.

As you can see, the descriptions are good, the pictures and drawings are spot on - and if you're in any doubt you can look up more images by using the latin name in a google image search (which is what I did earlier in the thread)

My copy was 2nd hand from Amazon £2 ish, as opposed to £4.99

The title is Food for Free

Collins gem edition

by Richard Mabey

ISBN 0-00-718303-8

maryb

squeaky wrote:

Elder (sambucus nigra) is a shrub that makes about ten feet with a corky bark. Leaves are usually in groups of five, large, dark green and slightly toothed. Flowers are umbrels (umbrella like clusters to you and me) of numerous cream white flowers. (it is suggested that you check flowers for insects but do not wash them as this removes most of the fragrance)

http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~stueber/lindman/62.jpg

http://www.diplomlandespfleger.de/Bilder/Baum/sambucusnigra.jpg

Ground Elder (aegopodium podagraria) Found in shady places, a hairless perennial forming large patches 30-100cm 12-40in high. Leaves finely toothed in groups of three at the end of leaf stems. Flowers are white umbrels on a creeping hairless stem.

http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/pictures/p01/images/aegopodium-podagraria.jpg

http://www.toyen.uio.no/botanisk/nbf/plantefoto/aegopodium_podagraria_Norman_Hagen01.jpg


Cow Parsley (anthriscus sylvestris) An erect leafy perennial about 1m 3ft high with hollow green furrowed stems hairy near the bottom of the plant and smooth above. Leaves are grass green, slightly downy and much divided resembling wedge shaped ferns. Flowers tiny white in umbrels.

http://www.kulak.ac.be/facult/wet/biologie/pb/kulakbiocampus/lage%20planten/Anthriscus%20sylvestris%20-%20Fluitenkruid/anthriscus%20sylvestris-fluitenkruid-01.jpg

http://www.aphotoflora.com/Anthriscus%20sylvestris%20-%20Cow%20Parsley%20-%2002-05-04.jpg


Parts of each of these are edible in the proper season - though it's easy to confuse Cow Parsley with Fool's Parsley and Hemlock so you should have a good field guide to hand when picking.

Most of these details came from my very handy Collin's Gem version of Food For Free by Richard Mabey

Thanks very much for this.

Don't suppose you know how to get rid of ground elder (or bindweed) among all your other accomplishments.....??!

squeaky

Ground elder - you cook like spinach it has a tangy aromatic flavour and was probably introduced here by the romans!

I'm not sure about Bindweed - it's not listed in my book - but a google on it tells me that the latin name is different to the one I have for ground elder.

They ain't the same animal, honest

Rage_in_Eden

before retiring (as i like to call sloping off to bed) I have informed OH that we will be going for a countryside walk down the lane near our house this week and picking elderflowers for cordial the making of. he didn't look that interested but I've got to be enthusiastic when he gets his telescope set up so it's an even trade................. edlerberry syrup is also very good for coughs so i shall try and leave some flowers on the tree to develop for when I'm back!

ravenlooney

squeaky wrote:

Yes, gladly. It tells you which part of which flowers you can eat and when and often gives tips on preparation too.

As you can see, the descriptions are good, the pictures and drawings are spot on - and if you're in any doubt you can look up more images by using the latin name in a google image search (which is what I did earlier in the thread)

My copy was 2nd hand from Amazon £2 ish, as opposed to £4.99

The title is Food for Free

Collins gem edition

by Richard Mabey

ISBN 0-00-718303-8

And guess what my fab husband brought me a copy of back from our local recycling yard today :j. And it is a fab book .... I cant wait to get out there and see what I can feed us all

squeaky

Wahey - result!

buffers

squeaky wrote:

Wahey - result!

Just come in on this one. We have the book and have done 'Pickled Ash Keys' and quite a few other recipes. Deeeeeeeelicious.:D

squeaky

I've still got to sit and peruse it with with intent. I'm one of those people who can only name six plants so I'll have to have a good idea of what I'm looking for before wandering out book in hand.

The other day I almost joined the what have you eaten from your garden thread because I was going to pick some dandelion leaves for a salad - but the slugs and snails had beaten me to it! Bah humbug!

buffers

"The other day I almost joined the what have you eaten from your garden thread because I was going to pick some dandelion leaves for a salad - but the slugs and snails had beaten me to it! Bah humbug!"


You gotta be quick with them thar slugs and snails and all things creepy crawly. But dandelion leaves are excellent in salads. Stinging nettle soup was acceptable to my husband after I had blindfolded him - the colour leaves a bit to be desired!