Respect your elders - Wild Harvest Walk, late June, 2022
Though hard to believe, this was the first wild harvest walk in 2022 where we experienced rain. Despite becoming a little soggy, this week’s group remained buoyant which might have had something to do with our featured plant of the day - elder.
Elders are said to be ‘nature’s medicine cabinet’, as every part of the plant holds potent capability. The bark, leaves and fruits are all renowned for their medicinal qualities; mainly to purge or somewhat violently ‘cleanse’ the body. The berries have somewhat unpleasant effects if eaten raw but, when processed, are a great friend to the immune system, as well as being quite delicious.
But today we were concerned with the flowers, which have bloomed prolifically in the last two weeks, announcing the presence of the otherwise inconspicuous elder in every marginal space imaginable. Masses of frothy elder blossom has been sending the lemon sherbet scent of summer into the air, and I can absolutely believe the claim that elder blossom is a natural mood enhancer. I have also heard that they are used for reducing fever and easing a cold in a most delicious manner. Useful as well as beautiful!
Making elderflower cordial; pressing the elderflower through a jelly bag
As we walked north along the river leader, we saw elders in various stages of blooming - some just out and some already forming berries. Standing out from the mass of summer greenery, elder flowers are easily found and a foraging favourite. But their apparent abundance can lull you into a false sense that opportunities for cordial making will stretch out as long as the summer… Not so while the weather is so capricious. Rain, wind or too much heat can mean the flowers rot or go to fruit all too quickly. Last year I missed the boat and had to search deep in a local woodland for the very last blooms, which ultimately were too old and had no flavour. I was determined not to be caught out this year and on a hot, sunny, still day I sprang into action to make cordial and ‘elderflower delight’ for this Wild Harvest Walk.
The best blooms are fragrant, large like dinner plates, just opened, a creamy yellow colour, and pollen laden. I managed to gather about 40 heads from the most bedecked tree I could find [as always when harvesting from the wild, its important not to pick the lot. Even though elder is ubiquitous and prolific, leaving some flower heads within reach means there will be berries you can access later in the year], and walked carefully home so as not to damage my treasure. The scent of so much elderflower in a kitchen as small as mine, is overwhelming. As well as the ubiquitous elderflower cordial, this year I tried ‘Elderflower delight’ from a John Wright recipe. This rapidly had my entire kitchen, myself, and - worryingly - the dog, covered in sugary goop, but it was worth it. The resultant ‘delight’ went down a treat with this week’s wild harvesters who, despite experiencing the intense elderflower flavour in the midst of a rain shower, had massive smiles on their faces. Perhaps elderflower does indeed lift the spirits!
Other things we harvested or encountered this week:
beautiful sprays of dog-rose,
hogweed shoots (and how to tell hogweed from its more poisonous cousins),
tansy (which the Victorians ate seasonally to rid themselves of worms !!)
meadowsweet almost in flower…
Books and resources
WRIGHT, J. 2019. The Forager’s Calendar. Profile.
WRIGHT, J. 2010. Hedgerow. Bloomsbury
MABEY, R. 1973. Food For Free. Readers Union
SEAL, J. 2008. Hedgerow Medicine: harvest and make your own herbal remedies. Merlin Unwin.