Elderflowers bloom from May to June. The sustainable Green PearlsⓇ Hotel Weiherhof in South Tyrol has shared a recipe with us so you can easily make your own elderflower syrup. It will give you the perfect summer drink!
Elderflowers are ideal for sustainable gardening
According to the trade association Agrar, elderberry bushes are ideal for sustainable gardening. They are “attractive, robust and easy to care for,” they write. If you don’t have your own elderberry bush, you can easily find one near you (in Germany) using the digital map at mundraub-or just keep your eyes open when you’re out and about in nature. Elderberry bushes grow in many places. They can be recognized by their large, umbel-like white flowers, which have an intense fragrance and are buzzing with bees.
Good for insects and birds
An elderberry bush is good for biodiversity. The flowers are popular with honeybees, wild bees, flies, beetles and butterflies for pollen and nectar. Birds such as blackbirds, thrushes, and starlings love the berries that appear later. So make sure you leave enough flowers so that wildlife can continue to enjoy this important food source.
In our blog post on insect decline, we explained the importance of flowering plants.
Hotel Weiherhof has not used fertilizer for over 20 years
The family-run Hotel Weiherhof is located directly on the 1,200-meter Wolfsgruben Lake. According to the Pichler family, they have consciously refrained from fertilizing the landscape around the lake and their hotel for more than 20 years. Grass and flowers on a nearby open space are also mowed only once a year to encourage biodiversity.
Elderberries grow in huge hedges and are picked by apprentices during the summer months to make this delicious syrup. Guests can enjoy it as a refreshing summer drink with soda or mineral water.
Elderflower Syrup Recipe
Here is the recipe to try yourself. Remember that the syrup needs to stand for 5 days. Then you can pour it into glass bottles. It will keep for several months in a dark pantry if sealed. Once opened, it is best stored in the refrigerator.
Weihrerhof's Elderflower Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 Liters water
- 3 kg sugar
- 8 dkg citric acid
- 5-6 lemons (in slices) organic
- 12 elderflowers
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a large pot and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Leave the syrup to infuse for five days, stirring once or twice a day.
- Enjoy the elderflower syrup with mineral water or soda.
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