[HappyHippy]

Spurred on by the encouraging results of my nettle cordial (not officially ready til tomorrow, but I had a taste yesterday and it was lovely  ) I'm thinking about other forraged drinks 

I know we definately have Elder, but before I go scouring all 130 acres looking for the right tree, I just want to check when the usual time to harvest the flowers is ? I'm just south of Glasgow, 1000ft above sea level, if that makes a difference ?
If I've missed the flowering season, it'll just have to be Elderberry cordial later in the year instead 

I know you guys will know, so many thanks in advance 
Karen x

[Bionic]

Karen,
I want to make some elderflower wine and I am still waiting for mine to flower. At the moment its very tight green buds. I would say its at least a couple of weeks away yet.

[FiB]

I don't think you will have missed it yet - ours is only just budding!!!! At least a month late I recon.

[MikeM]

just been out to check and ours are just flowering now, must've happened in the last day or so.

[Mel Rice]

mines full of flower at the moment but im on continental Europe!

[Greenerlife]

Now - in Surrey..

[Dans]

Just starting to get flowers in Midlothian but still mostly buds. Give it a week or so I'd say

Dans

[HappyHippy]

Thanks guys 
I suspect I'll be out before the end of the week looking and possibly harvesting 
Will keep you posted 

[Simon O]

Karen ours are just starting to flower so yours are probably the same

[shygirl]

ours hasnt flowered yet

[Greenerlife]

I've just "harvested".     (ie I have chopped down the elderflower tree which keeps growing in my garden and no matter what I do to it, comes back every damn year!). Made elderflower syrup and elderflower cordial.

[HesterF]

First batch today for me in Kent!

[ellied]

I am overrun with elder at the moment and have left it now to flower so I can have a go at cordial.  Noticed a few flowers coming this week but not fully out yet so I reckon you're about right on time and hopefully can post your experiences to guide me in my first attempts!

I should do nettles too, another crop I'm good at.. but there's something about them and elder that I've never managed to produce anything useful from, I think somewhere I'm convinced the complex structures of the elderflowers will harbour some creepy crawly thing I miss and end up consuming..

[lilfeeb]

Mine are just starting to flower hoping to make cordial

[Bionic]

I am overrun with elder at the moment and have left it now to flower so I can have a go at cordial.  Noticed a few flowers coming this week but not fully out yet so I reckon you're about right on time and hopefully can post your experiences to guide me in my first attempts!

I should do nettles too, another crop I'm good at.. but there's something about them and elder that I've never managed to produce anything useful from, I think somewhere I'm convinced the complex structures of the elderflowers will harbour some creepy crawly thing I miss and end up consuming..

Last year I made elderflower cordial for the first time. It was a recipe handed down from OH's sister. I was very sceptical about it but it turned out to be very good. Some we drank straight away and a couple of bottles (plastic milk bottles) went into the freezer but long since drank.