Welcome to the Wild Foods Guide Page for: Elder (Sambucus nigra)

Wild Food Guide For: Elder



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Mushrooms and Fungi

Elder


This is the description page for Elder (Sambucus nigra) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the wild foodstuff: Elder.

elder flowers and elderberries

The elder, (also known as elderberry) represent the flowers and the fruit of the black (or common) elder Sambucus nigra, native to Europe and western Asia. These are small trees which are classed as part of the Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) family, but which recent genetic evidence has shown to be part of the Adoxaceae (viburnum) family. This can grow to a tree reaching 15m tall, though more generally it grows as a large shrub (some 5–8m tall). Both the flowers and the berries are edible.

Elder flowers can either be used to create an infusion (elderflower cordial or wine) or they can actually be eaten themselves (elderflower firtters). It is best to pick the flowering heads when the flowers are open and full of pollen (it's the pollen that actually produces the flavour). If the flowers have begun to turn brown then they are past their best and have shed their pollen. These kinds of flowers should be discarded. The ripe fruit of the elder is also edible (although it is somewhat bitter, but a pinch of salt cures that problem) and can be made into wines or even baked into pies. You can also collect elderflower buds for pickling in vinegar and they make a decent substitute for capers.


Recipes Utilizing Elder

Fruit Dumplings
Elderflower 'Champagne'
Elderflower Wine
Elderflower Cordial
Elderflower Fritters
Elderberry Soufflé
Elderflower Cheesecake
Winter Herb Punch Fruit Dumplings
Elderberry Sauce
Spatchcocked Partridge with Crabapple Sauce and Elderberry Sauce
Autum Windfall Jelly Tart
Elderberry Sauce
Elderberry Jelly
Elderflower Jelly
Elderflower and Gooseberry Jam
Elderberry Vinegar
Gooseberry and Elderflower Parfait
Gooseberry and Elderflower Tart
Elderberry Crunch Bread
Elderberry Sorbet
Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas in a Tomato, Chilli and Elderberry Sauce
Traditional Elderberry Wine
Elderberry Melomel Mead
Elderberry Ice Cream
Elderberry Jam
Elderberry Wine
Elderberry Granita
Butterless Elderberry Muffins
Elderberry Catsup
Black Dumplings
Elderflower Seaweed Pudding
Elderberry Waffles
Elderberry Sauce
Hedgerow Jam
Blackberry and Elderberry Jam
Apple and Elderberry Pie
Elderberry Cordial
Elderberry Syrup
Pontack Sauce
Dried Elderberries
Elderberry Pie
Elderflower and Sea-buckthorn Berry Cordial
Elderberry Soup
Elderberry Cheese Spread
Elderflower Beer
Elderberry-crusted Chipotle Pork
Elderberry Syrup Parfait
German Elderflower Fritters
German Elderberry Mush
German Elderberry Scramble
Wildberry Crisp
Double Elderberry Cheesecake
Country Elderflower and Spruce Wine
Elderberry Syrup Bavarois
Elderberry Water Ice
Elderberry Water Ice
Elderberry Flan
Elderberry and Apple Jelly
Hips and Haws Jelly
Chilled Elderberry Soup
Elderberry and Honey Cream




Welcome to the Celtnet guide to wild foods. As this recipe site has grown it has become obvious that to allow people to replicate some of the more ancient recipes on this site (especially from the Ancient, Roman and Medieval periods) it is necessary to list modern alternatives but also to produce a guide so that the curious can find the original (often wild) ingredients for themselves. These pages are an attempt at bringing all these potentially useful and often forgotten wild foods together into one place.

It is a sad fact that we have lost much of the knowledge we once had of the seasonal wild foods that we have on our own doorstep and which are not only safe to eat but which are also very tasty and fresh. This section of the site grew from the work I've done on the ancient recipes section of this site. After all, for our ancestors before farming wild foods were the only foods available. This guide therefor represents images lists and recipes for various wild foods you can gather and what you can do with them. For the most part the list contains edible plants. But I am beginning to add a new section on edible wild mushrooms and this part of the site will be expanding to include many other plants and species very soon. If you would like to know how to cook with these wild foods, then as well as having links to individual recipes on these pages you can also visit my Wild Food Recipes pages for many more (over 1000 and growing) recipe ideas.



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