May in the Forest
May in the Forest
Our piece of the forest is white with blossom at the moment. Blackthorn has been followed with Damson, and now cherries, both wild and cultivated, carry on the theme. In the hedgerows and woodland edges the Hawthorn blossom (known as ‘May’ of course) decorates its branches of bright new leaves, but I want to draw attention to a humbler tree that is scenting the air and adding its frothy white flower heads to the picture. The Elder, Sambucus nigra, sets itself anywhere and grows so freely that it’s generally regarded as a weed but it should be valued for many reasons. Its very vigour and success as a coloniser is helpful in areas which are bare and need restoration, such as spoil heaps and railway embankments. The foliage has an unpleasant smell and in former times branches were placed in cattle byres and the harnesses of horses to ward off flies, the animals sometimes seeking out the bushes themselves for the same reason. The stems develop a corky pith which is easy to remove, lending them to use as pea-shooters and whistles. (I must see how my 8-year old grandson gets on with this project when he comes to stay! I remember that the whistles don’t always perform at first and sometimes need some patient re-modelling to achieve a satisfactory sound.) Strangely, the wood itself is very hard and the trunk or stump can be used for wood-turning.
Since we are in May, let’s concentrate on the blossoms. The big umbels of flowers attract many pollinating insects but human opinion is divided on whether they smell sweet as honey or somewhat musty. They feature in many country recipes such as elderflower fritters, where the heads are kept whole and dipped by the stalk into a light batter, then fried and sprinkled with sugar. More well-know are elderflower champagne and cordial but the latter is a more reliable beverage to make. Pick 20 heads of blossom on a dry, sunny morning when their pollen content and scent will be greatest. Give them a little shake (not too much or you’ll lose the pollen) to dislodge most of the insects. Slowly dissolve 1 kilogram of sugar in 1 litre of water then boil it for a minute or two to make a syrup. Zest and slice 2 unwaxed lemons and place in a large non-metallic container. You can add 40 grams of citric acid as a natural preservative too. Pour the syrup over the lemons and carefully add the flower heads. Cover with a clean cloth and leave overnight to steep. Next day strain the liquid carefully then pour into sterilised bottles. The cordial can be kept for up to 6 weeks in a cool, dark place or frozen for longer. Add a little to Gooseberry pie or simply dilute it and enjoy a taste of early summer!
