Drying elderflower »From collecting to drying

This must be taken into account when harvesting

So that you get the best quality dried elderflower, everything has to run optimally during the harvest.

• collect on a dry day
• there must be no more morning dew on the flowers
• only harvest fully bloomed flowers
• cut off whole inflorescences

The ideal place for gentle drying

Elder flowers need a warm place to dry, but they must not receive any solar radiation. Likewise, the room in which they lose their moisture should be dry. In the kitchen, close to the steaming saucepan, drying doesn't work so well.

Dry the flowers step by step

1. Cut off the main stem of the flowers, just below the topmost flower branch.
2. Spread the flowers out on a sheet of kitchen paper or a grid to dry. Individual umbels must not lie on top of each other.
3. Apply the flowers daily until they are completely dry.

Storing dry elderflower

When the stems are dry, so are the more delicate flowers. If the flowers rustle when you move them, you can be sure that the drying process is complete. Now the aroma of the flowers must be safely stored until use.

• Pick up individual flower umbels
• store away from light
• absolutely dry
• in a tightly closed container
• use up within a year