Foraging in June

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:11:46 +0100

Elder is a shrubby, diciduous tree, which grows up to 10 meters high. It is found in hedgerows and open woods throughout the temperate northern hemisphere. It flowers from around May to July, and fruits August to October. Both Flowers and fruit are edible, and can be consumed raw. Elder is a traditional cottage garden plant because of its many health giving properties.

Caution

Seeds contain hydrogen cyanide. It is best to avoid chewing them, as unbroken seeds are more likely to pass through the digestive system. The leaves and bark also contain hydrogen cyanide in larger quantities and should not be consumed. Berries may be mildly toxic when unripe. At any stage, they may be laxative in quantity.

The flowers, which form cream coloured umbels, contain rutin, an antioxidant which strengthens capillaries and is said to protect against cancer and heart disease. The flowers are also said to be blood cleansing, and can be used in the treatment of conjunctivitis. They have a peculiar aroma, but make delicious drinks, such as a fizzy "Champaign" (non alcoholic in the early stages), a cordial, wine and tea. They can also be used for making fritters. They can be dried in the sun for storage. Dried produce keeps best in vacuum sealed jars (see my article on haw to use a cheap little wine preserving pump and some sticky tape to turn pickle or jam jars into vacuum sealed containers without heat). The dried flowers do not retain the strong aroma, but are worth keeping for herbal tea. It is also worth leaving plenty of flowers to form into berries for later harvest.

Find out more..... (including recipes)

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Site overhaul

I am working on a major restructure and face lift for JOTW, much of it behind the scene, but you may still see some weird goings on for a while, as I experiment, and gradually change the site, a page at a time. It is a massive job, and I will probably get some of it done only piecemeal. Next point, I would love to hear from you with suggestions. What would you like to see more of, less of, different? Structure, cosmetic, content? This would be a good time to let me know. If you are getting this update by email, just click reply or go to the contact page to drop me line. Thanks.

Judy of the Woods

Foraging in June