Elderflower Fritters
The elderflowers are starting to fade. Every year, when they bloom, I have great intentions to pick them for fritters; then every year I forget. This year, I finally remembered, or I suppose I was finally in the right place at the right time.
My mom has a ton of elderberry bushes in her garden. There are a few different varieties because my parents have been collecting them for years. They love the berries, my mom makes jelly and I usually make elderberry syrup.
Last week, I picked about a dozen blossoms, whipped up a quick batter. Here’s the recipe in case you’re interested: 3/4 cup of organic flour, 2 Tablespoons of melted butter, 3/4 cup water, milk, a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla mixed to a batter. After letting this sit for 30 minutes, fold in a beaten egg white. The blossoms were dipped and fried in coconut oil. I learned that you should shake off some of the batter or the delicate elderberry blossom flavor gets lost.
The stems should also not be eaten, so after using the main stem for dipping in the batter, I snipped it off with scissors right at the base of the flower clusters. After removing from the pan they were sprinkled lightly with a little organic sugar. All-in-all, these were a hit. Not a bad way to get some extra coconut oil in your diet, and a much healthier version of heavy fried fair food!
Have you ever eaten elderflowers?
Filed under Cooking | Comments (10)
I’ve never made the fritters but I usually make elderflower cordial sometimes champagne.
The Elder is like a weed in the hedgerows here, and only just starting to come out in flower. It’s late.
to Mich's comment
Elderflower champagne, though not for a couple of years now. It’s surprisingly good–not too alcoholic, but very refreshing. And a good mixer for a kind of martini my husband made up.
to kristin @ going country's comment
Hard to find here so I can’t waste the flowers as I use the berries for elderberry tincture for flu. It has sambucol same as flu meds. None last year. I keep transplanting and trying but they bloom and then no berries. Did find 2 large patches elsewhere so will try to get and dry some to use for later tinctures for family. never made jelly as they’re hard to find around here or least where I’m allowed to look. Plan to transplant more this fall or next spring since I found them just this week.
to Deb's comment
Deb~I think you have in a way answered the question I wanted to ask….If the flowers are used for fritters or champagne…cordial…etc….Then there are no berries for the tincture?….I know I should know this….but I am not certain…..Mine have been in bloom for a few weeks now…..and I have not touched them because I assumed they were like any other berry and to pick the flowers would be to lose the berry.
to amy's comment
Yes, each blossom will turn into berries. You can harvest some of the flowers which will make the other berries larger (just like apples and other fruits). My mom has probably 15 elderberry bushes and always has more blooms and berries than we need.
The blossoms do also have benefits like the berries.
to Susy's comment
Thanks~Susy:) I got this tree a couple of years ago and these are the first blooms I have had…..It has now set a shoot for another tree! I had no idea there were different cultivars……I need to read up on them more and thanks for the additional info about removing some of the flowers for better fruit.
to amy's comment
I have had elderberry jelly, and it is good. We have a few here and there on our place, but not enough to do anything with right now. I hope they spread so I can make jelly, and other things from them.
to Kay's comment
Very neat! I new knew you could eat the flowers straight away, I’d only ever seen them used as a flavoring.
to Daedre Craig's comment
I have used the elderberries for everything mentioned above. I have made elderberry wine, tincture, jelly, cordial and liqueur. I have been making elderflower wine now for a few years and prefer making that to the berry wine. When making wine with the berries you get this hideous, resiny tarry substance that gunks up all your equipment and is a pain to clean up after.
I have thought about making fritters but rarely eat any grains so flour is not something I use very often at all.
to Ann's comment
I noticed the blossoms sunday, but I am waiting for berries to make more wine. Last year I did not get any berries. The gunk does not give me too much problem when making wine, dish soap and a carbide brush seem to work well for me. I use a tubing brush too, that can be a bit more work.
to Bonnie Fowler's comment