10 tips for enjoying elder to perfection

• Elderflower tea is a tried-and-true home remedy for colds

Pour hot water over dried flowers and drink the tea warm to promote sweating when you have a fever. If you let the tea cool, it can help strengthen your immune system as a preventive measure.

• Try elderflower as an ingredient in refreshing summer drinks

Whether it’s an alcohol-free elderflower Hugo, an elderflower spritz or a cocktail with elderflower liqueur – the versatile elderflower flavours bring freshness and a healthy note to your drinks.

• You can also make elderflower syrup yourself quite easily

With water, sugar, lemons or oranges and fresh flowers you can make a delightful syrup. Sealed, it keeps for about a year and can be used in many ways, for example in an alcohol-free Hugo with mineral water and mint.

• Use elderberries to make homemade juice

After cleaning and removing stems, you can press the berries for juice. Once brought to a boil, this juice forms the basis for syrups, jellies or liqueurs and brings the beneficial compounds easily into your everyday diet.

• Try making elderberry jelly yourself

Elderberry jelly made from elderberry juice, gelling sugar and, if you like, spices such as cinnamon or cloves is a practical way to preserve the taste of summer for a long time and enjoy it in many ways.

• Wash flowers and berries thoroughly

Rinse elderflowers or berries carefully under running water to remove dust, dirt and insect residues before processing them further.

• Always cook elderberries before eating

Raw elderberries contain toxic cyanogenic glycosides that are destroyed by heat. For this reason, prepare elderberries only cooked to eliminate health risks.

• Dry elderflowers gently

Cut the flower clusters just before the branching and dry them in the shade in a well‑ventilated place on a rack. Turn them daily until they rustle. This preserves the aroma optimally and the flowers can be stored for up to a year.

• You can also store elderflowers by freezing them

Fresh flowers freeze very well. Rinse them briefly, freeze them on a tray and then transfer them to containers. This way aroma and active compounds are preserved naturally.