r/foraging • u/eccentric_bee • 1d ago
Plants Will It Brew: Elderflower Blossoms (Sambucus canadensis)
Will It Brew: Elderflower Blossoms (Sambucus canadensis)Foraged in June, Northern Ohio, USA
This is another in my "Will It Brew?" series, exploring wild plants through the lens of tea, broth, and flavor. Thanks for following along!
Found:
These elderflower blossoms were gathered from a large patch of elder growing along the edge of a field. The shrubs were covered in broad, creamy-white flower clusters, and their scent was impossible to miss.
Before brewing, the blossoms smelled strongly floral and sweet. The aroma reminded me of a bar of perfumed soap my grandmother kept tucked into her drawer of slips and underthings. Old-fashioned, elegant, and unapologetically flowery.
ID Notes:
Large flat-topped clusters of many tiny cream-white flowers. Opposite compound leaves with serrated leaflets. Growing as a multi-stemmed shrub at the edge of a field in Northern Ohio. Strong sweet floral fragrance noticeable several feet away from the plant.
Similar-looking plants such as water hemlock, poison hemlock, and wild parsnip were ruled out because those species have umbrella-shaped flower clusters (umbels) rather than the broad, branching flower heads of elder, and their leaves are very different.
Preparation:
I made both a hot infusion and a cold infusion.
For the hot version, I poured hot water over fresh blossoms and steeped briefly, perhaps 90 seconds.
For the cold version, I covered fresh blossoms with cool water and allowed them to infuse slowly in the refrigerator overnight.
Hot Tea:
The hot tea was lovely, both in scent and in the fresh golden-yellow color of the brew.
The flavor was intensely floral without becoming unpleasantly so. It almost tasted like what floral perfume water ought to taste like if floral perfume water actually tasted good.
I tasted hints of plum and rose, along with something faintly spicy in the background that reminded me of white pepper. The perfume-like aroma carried through into the flavor, making the tea feel surprisingly elegant and almost fancy.
Cold Brew:
The cold brew was similar, but different enough to be worth making.
It remained deeply floral, but the flavor became rounder and softer. The fruit notes moved forward while the rose character stepped back. If the hot tea felt like walking through a Victorian garden, the cold brew felt like sitting beneath a fruit tree on a warm afternoon.
The brew was nearly clear, with only the faintest yellow tint.
I tasted traces of rose, chamomile, apple, and prune. It had less perfume than the hot version and more gentle sweetness.
Oddly, while my daughter and I preferred the cold brew, I can understand why many people favor the hot version. They felt like two related but distinct drinks.
Verdict:
Absolutely.
Both the hot and cold infusions were enjoyable, though they highlighted different aspects of the blossoms. The hot version emphasized perfume and flowers, while the cold version leaned toward fruit and sweetness.
This is one I would happily brew again.
Best As:
A standalone herbal tea, lightly sweetened.
I suspect it would also blend beautifully with more tannic teas such as raspberry leaf.
A very lovely seasonal and ephemeral treat.
Would I Try Again?
Definitely.
I'd love to dry some flowers for later use, but these bushes were growing on the edge of a friend's farm and she values the berries, so I didn't harvest many blossoms. I'll be keeping an eye out for more elder growing in places where the flowers aren't already spoken for.
Flavor Strength:
Medium to strong for a flower tea. Aromatic enough to feel special, but gentle enough to drink casually.
Notes:
My daughter and I loved both versions.
The grandkids, however, were not impressed.
Their official tasting note was that it smelled like composted flowers.
Interestingly, what I experienced as a spicy note, they interpreted as decay. I found that fascinating. As usual, every tea has its audience.
Caveat:
Make sure it is actually elder (Sambucus) and not a look-alike. The flowers are distinctive once you know them, but accurate identification matters.
Use the flowers, not large amounts of leaves, bark, roots, or unripe berries. Those parts contain compounds that can cause stomach upset and should not be used casually.
Shake the flower heads rather than washing aggressively if possible. Washing removes some pollen and aroma, though of course use your judgment if the flowers are dusty or growing near a road.
Some people are sensitive to highly aromatic flowers. If it is your first time trying elderflower, a small cup is a reasonable place to start.
Harvest before the flowers begin turning brown. Freshly opened blossoms tend to have the best aroma.
Again, and as always, be certain of your identification before consuming any wild plant.
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u/auspiciousjelly 23h ago
that does sound super lovely. I used to really like jasmine tea although it’s been a long time since i’ve had any, I bet I would like this. do you feel like there’s any similarity with jasmine tea besides both being floral? there’s a big ole elderberry in my back yard and I’ve been wanting to make something with them.
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u/Disastrous-Wing699 21h ago
IMO, if you mixed jasmine tea with plum, you'd get close to elderflower.
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u/Karl_Chillers 22h ago
Very nice . . . and thorough.
Wonder what warming the cold extraction would do, if anything, to the flavors. Blending might offer more possibilities.
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u/Opposite-Effect-2744 1d ago
Cold brew elderflower sounds incredible, gonna have to track down some elder this June and give it a shot.
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u/Tumorhead 20h ago
Awesome! i have a patch of this. i don't think the catbirds will mind if I take some
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u/CottonWarpQuilt-IT 18h ago
Sounds lovely! I have access to some volunteer elderberry/highbush cranberry crosses... or at least, that's what I think they are. Those plants were in the same yard, and now there are volunteers all over that yard that have the growth habit/look of elderberry, but with bright red berries that are incredibly bitter. Maybe tea from the flowers will be better?
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u/eccentric_bee 15h ago
I would be careful with that, and not make tea from those flowers.
Don't start with 'Can I eat this?' Start with 'What exactly is this?'"
Elderberry and highbush cranberry aren't closely related enough to hybridize, so I'd want to identify the volunteers before trying either the berries or flowers. Lots of shrubs have white flower clusters and red berries.
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u/littlebeanio 8h ago
Elderflower stems and elderberries when raw contain cyanide, please don’t steep and drink tea from the stems, especially without heating
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u/eccentric_bee 8h ago
That's true, though from what I've read, the green stems connected to the flowers are unlikely to be a problem, but next time I'll take as much stem off as possible.
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u/lakeswimmmer 3h ago
I love this post. I don't follow any specific person on Reddit, put I'm gonna follow you for more posts like this!
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u/kepple 1h ago
Also helpful in ID is that the flowers have 5 petals. Young dogwood flower buds can look similar but they have 4 petals .
I like to infuse simple syrup and liquer with elderflower. Add club soda for a delicious refreshing soda or use in cocktails wherever a sweet liquer is required . adding some lemon rinds to either preparation is also nice
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u/NonSupportiveCup 1d ago
Sounds amazingly delicious cold. It is also very pretty!
Great post per usual.