Elderflowers?????

[ingypingy2]

Hoping some of you lovely folks can give me some advice on Elderflowers?

As I live in the cold north, elderflowers are still on the trees here and have only been out for a few weeks. Is it too late to pick some to start an elderflower wine?

My friend has a lovely big tree in her garden which is covered in flowers just now, and they are mostly whiteish, although a yellow tinge is starting to come. Do you reckon it will be ok, someone mentioned to me that if you pick them too late, they will be poisonous, but not sure if this is true of not???

I've been told to help myself to them, and am keen to get a 5 gallon fv on the go.

Opinions please?

Thanks

 

[Jonny69]

Pick nice fresh white flowers with plenty of pollen, the more fragrant they smell, the better. Some smell like cat pee, make sure you get a couple of bunches of those too. You need about 6-9 flower heads per gallon depending how elderflowery you like it.

Are you 100% sure they are elderflowers? The only reason I ask is because I picked mine in about the second week of June and my elderflower champagne has completely brewed and cleared already.

 

[markpeace]

Mine have been and gone too, early in June (and I'm up north). In fact, they're very nearly in berry. I guess it could be a slow tree, but if you're not sure, you could maybe post a picture here...

 

[ingypingy2]

Pretty certain they're elderflowers, can try get a picture to double check, but they're trees with clusters of flowers, not to be confused with a very similar looking roadside weed (we up here have called it 'cowslip parley' since we were little) which is not very good for you at all :) I know there are elderflowers all over the place in the north of scotland just now as I have just driven through the whole country from Cornwall (summer hols) back home, Caithness is covered in them! :) :) I live up in Orkney so our plants and stuff tend to flower a lot later than other places due to the temperature, according to the programme QI, up here, we are approx 8 weeks behind some places lol!! :)

 

[GREBO75]

You want the white flowers, just before they start turning brown.

Some recipes also say to pick them on a sunny day and pick the flowers that are facing the sun - no idea if that makes a difference though, think we could be into the realm of old wive's tales :grin:

 

[cf.]

Very late for flowers there berry's here in Devon nearly ready for picking

 

[PD]

Pick elderflowers in the sun when they are dry, a quick chech is as stated give them a sniff, they should smell bland or flowery, even bunches on the same tree can smell different.
Guess they flower later up in the Orknies.... when do they berry ?
You don't need too many flower heads to a gallon as they are quite pungent and powerful. They make one of the best sparling white wines, as their beriies make lovely red wines. I've always wondered why the plant breeders have never worked on the elder tree Can you imagine elderberries hanging down like grapes........... :party: and they grow nearly anywhere, unlike grape vines.

 

[oldbloke]

Here in Wet Yorkshire the elders are either flowering or just finishing flowering and starting to form berries.
You preferably pick in full sun as the aromatics are maximised in the petals then.

 

[Mrs V]

Same in Manchester - they finished flowering a few weeks ago and berries have just set but not changed colour yet. I always pick them in full sun and when they are white, but I only pick the fragrant sweet smelling ones. Maybe me but I think the ones that smell like cat wee (and you can tell them straight away when you smell them) tainted the one wine I made with it . Good luck ! :thumb: