Elder Flower Fritters

By Mel Evans

Elder is one of those trees that just keeps on giving! We shared a little about the traditions and folklore surrounding the Elder Tree when we described how the wood could be used to make Elder Beads. We went on to share some of our personal traditions in the post about making Elder Flower Sugar, using the first Elder blooms.

The Elder is now starting to flower in earnest and the warm dry days should be perfect to harvest it. Its the pollen that gives the flowers their iconic taste so its important to collect them when they are fully open and dry. Washing the flowers will remove the pollen, so instead they should be shook lightly to allow any bugs to escape.

There are several way to use the flowers and Elder Flower Cordial is a very popular choice. We have found this a bit impractical to make in the woods however, as the flowers need to steep in the liquid over night. Instead we love to make Elder Flower Fritters.

Flowers are simply dipped in a light batter, fried in a little oil on both sides, removed from the pan and dusted with icing sugar. The stalk makes a great handle for dipping and can be discarded once the fritter has been eaten. We like to use a tempura batter as its light enough not to overshadow the Elder Flower flavour. It is also versatile and can be used to batter lots of wild or home grown ingredients. Nettles, dandelions and courgettes all work well.

To make a batter combine 30 g plain flour, 70 g of corn flour and a pinch of salt. Whisk in 80 ml of cold sparkling water.

Its so satisfying to harvest an ingredient in the woods and cook it immediately on the fire. The group come together to try the food and there is so much to talk about!