Foraging in France can be a delightful adventure, but it's crucial to be aware of the potential dangers that lurk among the bountiful flora. Among the treasures of the French countryside is the fragrant Elderflower, known for its culinary and medicinal uses. However, it's important to exercise caution when foraging elderflowers, as certain parts of the plant, such as the leaves and unripe berries, should never be consumed due to their toxic properties. Proper identification and knowledge of safe usage are essential to ensure a positive foraging experience.

In addition to Elderflower, France is home to various other plants that demand careful consideration. Some wild mushrooms found in the country can be highly poisonous if ingested, making it vital to possess expert knowledge or consult a mycologist before attempting to gather and consume them. Thankfully, France's unique approach to mushroom foraging safety provides a helpful solution. Local pharmacies offer a service where enthusiasts can bring their freshly picked mushrooms for identification and evaluation, ensuring that they are safe for consumption.

While navigating the realm of foraging in France requires awareness and caution, it doesn't mean we have to abandon the joy of discovering nature's treasures. With the necessary knowledge and precautions, we can still indulge in the delicious delights of Elderflower, appreciating its aromatic presence in culinary creations, all the while ensuring our well-being. So let's embrace the world of foraging, savoring the wonders of nature, and enjoying the bounty it offers—just as long as we do so with a keen eye for safety.

Elderflower for some is a syrup, to some a delicious herb, and to some a horribly poisonous plant that they won’t go near despite its beautiful look.

In French is pronounced Fleur de sureau, Fleur meaning flower, and sureau meaning Elder. Common names for the plant around the world are Elder, Elderberry, Black Elder, European Elder, European Elderberry, European Black Elderberry, and in the Isle of Man it’s known as Tramman, just to be different.

Elderflower is the flower from the Elderberry plant which is a hardy shrub that grows to be about 7 metres tall depending on the variety. Around the world, there are about ten different varieties of the Elderberry plant. It has a wide range of medicinal, cosmetic, and culinary uses and is often seen in many French herb gardens.

The elderflower is a hermaphrodite plant which means that the plant has both male and female reproductive organs with the same flower. This is important to know in plant breeding. These flowers are sometimes referred to as bisexual or perfect flowers. Tomatoes, Hibiscus, and as I mentioned in previous posts, Chives are also bisexual.

Its white flowers grow in clusters and bloom for a couple of months each summer which give off a lovely slightly heady fragrance. The term heady fragrance usually gives off a strong but pleasant scent. The berries from the plant ripen towards the end of summer and can last for weeks if the birds don’t get them first.

The Elderberry plant grows well in a moist but sunny spot in your garden. It should be pruned in late autumn or early spring and can be propagated by cutting off leafless shoots or by dividing its roots. You can grow by seed but this is a slower process and will need to be grown in the garden not in pots as it prefers a good garden bed to being confined to a pot.

In Europe, you get three different varieties of Elderberry/Elderflowers. For most of Central Europe, you have the black elderberry plant known as Sambucus nigra which has white flowers and black fruits. But you also have Elderberry, Sambucus Ebulus which is a smaller plant to the black elderberry and then there’s the red elderberry, Sambucus Racemose which has red berries as the name suggests. This variety usually grows in cooler climates and higher altitudes.

The flowers in the Elderberry are gathered in a term called corymb. In some recipes using elderflowers, you might find this term. Corymb is a botanical term for an inflorescence with the flowers growing in such a fashion that the outermost are borne on longer pedicels than the inner flowers. This brings all the flowers to a common level or flatfish top as with the Elderflowers. The word corymb is derived from the Ancient Greek word korymbos which means “bunch of flowers or fruit”.

Elderberry plants actually come with their own companions such as an edible mushroom called Judas Ear which is often found on the trunk of older Elderberry plants. Then there is also the black elderberry aphid which only lives on the elderberry plant.

Deer, Elk, Sheep, and some small birds forage on the elderflower plants and berries. In fact, the fruit from the elderberry is an important food for many migrating birds. The plants themselves often provide good shelter and habitat for many species of birds including hummingbirds and warblers.

Elder plants were traditionally in the past planted around diaries because it was thought that they prevented the milk from going off. In medieval times it was believed that you were most likely to encounter fairies on midsummer’s eve under an elderberry tree.

Also in medieval times, the chopping down of an elder tree would upset the elder mother who would take revenge on you if you didn’t ask permission first with a song.

Many movies around magic often refer to the wands or flutes that are made from elderberry plants because of their supposed magical properties.

Sous la Protection du Sureau is a book written by French author Bernard Bertrand which is all about the protection the elder tree offers. Bernard refers to the Elder tree as the tree with other 400 names apparently.

Romans during the Holy Roman Empire put an end to this worship of trees and their deities and named them in the 9th century and again in the 12th century. This put a stop to the plant being used to ward off witches and the devil. I’d like to see the stats on this and see if there were more witch and devil sightings then.

Throughout history, the elder plant has been attributed to treating over 70 different maladies. Elderflower, Elderberries are known for their preventive properties and are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, tannins and amino acids.

Elderflower can be used for colds, flu, bronchitis, diabetes and constipation amongst other things. Hippocrates, who is often referred to as the ‘father of medicine,’ described the elder as his ‘medicine chest’ which he used to cure a wide array of ailments.

In cosmetics, Elderflowers are often infused as they lighten the complexion and have qualities that rid the skin of impurities. They’re especially used in facial masks to reduce wrinkles and freckles.

Wood from the elder tree lends itself well to the making of whistles, pipes, chanters and other musical instruments, as the branches contain a soft pithy core which is easily removed to create hollow pipes.

There are many culinary uses for Elderflower especially in French and European cooking. You can make syrups, infusions, sorbets and the flowers can be added to tarts and cakes or gateaux. But more on that later. The Elderflower has a slightly floral scent to it and some believe it tastes a little bit like pineapple whilst others find it similar to lychee.

A warning that needs to be made when it comes to eating Elderflower/Elderberry plants is that the berries should be cooked before eating so that you make sure that you do not eat a raw unripened berry which is poisonous. Their berries are often used as a diuretic medicinally. The main thing is to distinguish the berries from the edible black elderberry plant from the toxic hireable elderberry. Also, you should not eat the stems or leaves as they are considered toxic.

Elderflower cordial or elderflower press as it is known is often made in many European countries, especially in the north and the Balkan countries. In some European countries, they even make wine from the berries of the plant. In Hungary, they produce a brandy made from elderberries and to make it they need 50 kilos of fruit to produce just 1 litre of the brandy. Sweden and France both produce popular liqueurs from elderflowers and in Belgium, they even create a beer from the berries.

Many people use elderflowers as fritters or in tempura. It’s not very French I’d have to say but it does sound delicious but doesn’t anything dipped in batter and fried sound delicious?

Wherever you might use edible flowers you can use elderflowers in the recipe. You can make an herbal tea from fresh elderflowers which is light, fruity, and delicious. But you can also do this with dried elderflowers as well.

If you are growing your own elderflowers then one of the best things to make at home is some delicious Elderflower Syrup. With this syrup, you can make elderflower ice cream, elderflower lemonade, or fairy champagne as it’s sometimes called and you can add it to cocktails or to a salad dressing for a slightly sweet and floral flavor to a special salad.

St Germain is an elderflower liqueur made using the petals of the black elderberry plant from the Savoir in France. The Savoir is located in the Auvergne Rhone-Alps region of Southeastern France. It has a population of close to 440K people and is known for its numerous ski resorts. The fondue Savoyarde, Tartiflette, and saucisson are well-known culinary delights from this area.

Each bottle of St Germain is numbered with the year that the petals of elderflowers were collected. They are collected each spring over a period of three to four weeks and are often transported by bicycle to collection points to avoid damaging the petals and impacting their flavor.

St Germain was launched by Cooper Spirits Co in 2007 and was created by distiller Robert Cooper the son of Norton Cooper who owns Charles Jacquin et Cie a major French alcohol maker. Sadly in 2016, Robert died at the young age of 39.

St Germain was named after the Comte de Saint Germain, no he wasn’t a cheese, he was born in 1712 and died in 1784. The Comte de Saint Germain was the son of Francis II Rakoczi the prince of Transylvania. His father actually claimed that his son had passed away at the age of four in order to protect him from the Hapsburg Dynasty. Then on his deathbed, he told the true identity of his son who hadn’t died but in fact was a wealthy, well-educated member of the royal entourage.

Because he had to keep his identity secret the Comte de Saint Germain used to tell wild stories about his life like he was 500 years old or that he was a prophet and I love this one, he claimed that he was the reincarnation of William Shakespeare. Who knows how many of the stories are true? History does tell us that he was a close friend of King Louis XV, who kept him so close by his side at the palace in Versailles as to raise the jealousy of other members of the royal court.

Just outside of the town of Soulge sur Ouette is the wonderful Maison du Sureau which is a specialist in the production of elderflower and elderberry products. Bertrand Bouflet started his career as a photographer and then after traveling the world, he returned to France planted his garden, and started to produce his mother’s elderberry jams and syrups.

Now the Maison du Sureau range includes products made from their orchards and also fruit picked from the wild to create a range of confits, confitures, jellies, syrups, herbal teas, dried flowers, and berries.

Of the many quotes and mentions of the Elderflower in writings around the world I love what Shakespeare wrote in The Merry Wives.

‘What says my Aesculapius, my Galen, my heart of Elder?’

A to Z of French Herbs - Elderflower - Fleur de Sureau

Elderflower Syrup

Tartare Sauce