Anna Rubingh - All Things Elder

Photography & words: © Anna Rubingh

Recipes: Philippa Vine

ED 001

ED 002

ED 003

ED 004

ED 005

To most it is just an ordinary tree, but there is so much more to the elder. It is loved by foragers and traditionally surrounded by mythology and symbolism. An elder in your yard keeps the devil away, but if you burn elder wood, you will, on the other hand, see the devil. Some tales even say that if you burn elder wood, you burn witches and that will bring bad luck for a long time.

But however the old folk tales go, the elder is loved by wildlife. The flowers provide nectar for a large variety of insects and the berries are eaten by birds and small mammals. And the tree is a pioneer that easily gets to bare ground and creates a habitat for new life.

Besides the common elder (Sambucus nigra), found widely throughout Europe, there are many different varieties. Elder with dark red leaves and pink flowers, such as Thunder Cloud and Black Lace that make an eye-catcher in any garden (and give beautiful red-pink cordial!). Or varieties selected for their fruits and flowers, like Godshill from the Isle of Wright, which has larger berries than the common elder.

Philippa Vine foraged the fragrant elderflowers to make some delicious seasonal recipes using gooseberries for acidity "Gooseberries are a great local alternative to lemons," she explains.

She makes cordials, fragrant summer cakes and tarts and easy desserts, all featuring elderflower. Savoury-wise she adds some extra summer flavour to seasonal salads using elderflower vinegar.
And what could be better than ending an early summer’s day with an elderflower vodka in the late afternoon sun. Cheers! To All Things Elder!

A story about the elder featuring beautiful seasonal elderflower recipes by Sussex-based recipe writer and cook Philippa Vine.