Urban Foraging: Elderflowers In Madison


By Erika Janik | July 2, 2015

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Elderberries grow abundantly in ditches, stream beds, and along bike paths in Wisconsin. Forager and chef Lee Davenport has been harvesting elderflowers around Madison for more than a decade.

Elderberries have a fragrant flower that can be used to enhance the flavor of jams, pickles, chutneys and vinegars. The flowers also make delicious jam, wine, syrup, and sorbet. It flowers in late spring and produces a dark berry later in the summer. 

Davenport says the best time to pick flowers is in the morning on a warm, dry day. One of her favorite things to make is elderflower cordial, a sweet-smelling syrup that goes well with sparkling water or champagne. 

 

 

Erika Janik

Erika Janik

Erika Janik is the co-creator and former executive director of Wisconsin Life. She is the author of six books, including Pistols and Petticoats: 175 Years of Lady Detectives in Fact and Fiction, Apple: A Global History, and  Marketplace of the Marvelous: The Strange Origins of Modern Medicine. She’s currently the executive...
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2018-01-19T17:52:33-06:00Tags: , , , |

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