Re: Elder flowers, questions about

[Guest guest]

In message <jsrq60+10b1beGroups> you wrote:

> I want to put some fresh elderflower in it for health reasons.

> For harvesting the flowers-- do I pull off just the white petals and use

> those? I know that parts of the Elder are not edible.

Hi ! The green parts of the elder are quite alright to be incoporated

in with the flowers. I have just done bottles of Elderflower cordial and

the cordial has come out most yummy!

You could do what I do make and the elderflower syrup, which is a conserve,

it is bottled just off the boil into boiled/sterile bottles.

> I'm assuming that I'll wait to add the elderflowers until the KT is ready

> to harvest and start another batch with plain. What else do I need to

> know about adding the flowers? Put in bottles or vat brew?

I don't do vat brewing. I do first ferment in my glass vases and then

bottle when required taste is reached.

You can make Elderflower or elderberry KT with the first brewing (keeping

pure Kombucha cultures as a backup, of course.

If you do elderflowers with the 1st ferment, it is advisable to brew up

the elderflowers with the tea to kill off some of the yeasts on the elderfl.

Too much yeast will sour the elderflower KT very quickly. Also, you only need

very few elderflowers for your KT, as the E.taste very quickly becomes too

intense.

That's the reason I prefer to add elderflower cordial to the finished

ordinary KT in the bottles, as you can regulate the amound much better and

IMO achieve a better end flavour.

> I have very bad allergies and so does my dear dog. Being bad this year.

Has that to do with the high pollen activity?

Having had such a cool spring and rainy June, things have been much more

tolerable here in the UK.

Hope you and your dog will be feeling better soon!

Kombuchaly,

Margret:-)

P.S. Just in case you are interested in my Elderflower syrup, here it is

(I've made already 2 lots this year)

50 Elderflower heads

2500 grams sugar = 11 cups

4 lemons cut into wedges

4 limes or oranges cut into wedges

3 litres = 3quarts boiling water (near enough!)

75grams citric acid

Elderflower heads, citrus fruit into bucket/vessel

sugar on top and top off with boiling water (careful with glass!!)

Leave to cool (uncovered), then cover with cloth,

leave to infuse for about 3 days.

On 3rd day remove elderflowers+citrusfruit.

Drain through fine-meshed strainer.

Add the citric acid + simmer for 10 minutes.

Fill into boiling hot, sterilised bottles, close

immediately and cool.

Remove to a cool place (fridge or cellar).

--

+------------------ Minstrel@... --------------------+

http://www.therpc.f9.co.uk/family/scobygrow/home.html

http://bavarianminstrel.wordpress.com

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Meditations/Focus/focus.html

http://creation.com/creation-videos

The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous

run to him and are safe. (Proverbs 18:1)

[Guest guest]

You can dry/dehydrate the flowers for later use.

I used to harvest mine in paper bags and then hang the bags, occasionally

shaking them to the flowers could dry evenly without molding or starting to

compost.

These days I spread them out on window screens set on racks.

If the flowers are past and berries are forming, don't use the berries until

they're fully ripe. Unripe/green Elderberries have a higher cyanide content than

ripe ones (which would render the end product very dosage sensitive).

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Welcome back! Hope all is well with you.

Glad to see that Margret has already responded to your elderberry question.

EveryOne, you will find 's KT cream recipe in the list FILES section:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/original_kombucha/files/

Peace, Love and Harmony,

Bev

>

> Hello, Beverly and All-- haven't posted here in a long time. Finally am

brewing KT again. I have a huge elderberry crop shaping up in my yard this

year, and I want to put some fresh elderflower in it for health reasons.

>

> For harvesting the flowers-- do I pull off just the white petals and use

those? I know that parts of the Elder are not edible.

>

> If I'm concerned that the elderflowers might be gone before the KT is ready,

is there a way to preserve them, or should I soak them in commercial KT now?

>

> I'm assuming that I'll wait to add the elderflowers until the KT is ready to

harvest and start another batch with plain. What else do I need to know about

adding the flowers? Put in bottles or vat brew?

>

> I have very bad allergies and so does my dear dog. Being bad this year.

>

> Thank you for the help.

>

> --

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Bev Things are pretty well with me, I hope with you also.

I'm so glad I'm brewing again-- but I'm just getting going with it-- A

few days ago started my first large batch after getting the SCOBY going.

Yes, I dissolved bumps on my nose with the KT cream. They had been dx'd

as benign, they were just raised bumps about the same color as my skin.

My body tends to generate these.

--

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

~~~ Why do men fight for their servitude as stubbornly

as though it were their salvation? ~~~~

--Gilles Deleuze

> Hi ,

>

> Welcome back! Hope all is well with you.

>

> Glad to see that Margret has already responded to your elderberry question.

>

> EveryOne, you will find 's KT cream recipe in the list FILES section:

>

> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/original_kombucha/files/

>

> Peace, Love and Harmony,

> Bev

>

>

>

>> Hello, Beverly and All-- haven't posted here in a long time. Finally am

brewing KT again. I have a huge elderberry crop shaping up in my yard this

year, and I want to put some fresh elderflower in it for health reasons.

>>

>> For harvesting the flowers-- do I pull off just the white petals and use

those? I know that parts of the Elder are not edible.

>>

>> If I'm concerned that the elderflowers might be gone before the KT is ready,

is there a way to preserve them, or should I soak them in commercial KT now?

>>

>> I'm assuming that I'll wait to add the elderflowers until the KT is ready to

harvest and start another batch with plain. What else do I need to know about

adding the flowers? Put in bottles or vat brew?

>>

>> I have very bad allergies and so does my dear dog. Being bad this year.

>>

>> Thank you for the help.

>>

>> --

>>

>>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Margaret! Does the boiling of the syrup/conserve kill off all the

yeast? I thought some yeast from the elderflowers was desirable?

In your recipe you describe topping the fruit with sugar and then

boiling water. Do you stir to dissolve the sugar or does it just

dissolve anyway? When you say top off, do you mean just add enough

water to cover the fruit/sugar?

Thank you!

--

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

~~~ Why do men fight for their servitude as stubbornly

as though it were their salvation? ~~~~

--Gilles Deleuze

> In message<jsrq60+10b1beGroups> you wrote:

>

>> I want to put some fresh elderflower in it for health reasons.

>>

>

>> For harvesting the flowers-- do I pull off just the white petals and use

>> those? I know that parts of the Elder are not edible.

>>

> Hi ! The green parts of the elder are quite alright to be incoporated

> in with the flowers. I have just done bottles of Elderflower cordial and

> the cordial has come out most yummy!

>

> You could do what I do make and the elderflower syrup, which is a conserve,

> it is bottled just off the boil into boiled/sterile bottles.

>

>

>> I'm assuming that I'll wait to add the elderflowers until the KT is ready

>> to harvest and start another batch with plain. What else do I need to

>> know about adding the flowers? Put in bottles or vat brew?

>>

>

> I don't do vat brewing. I do first ferment in my glass vases and then

> bottle when required taste is reached.

> You can make Elderflower or elderberry KT with the first brewing (keeping

> pure Kombucha cultures as a backup, of course.

>

> If you do elderflowers with the 1st ferment, it is advisable to brew up

> the elderflowers with the tea to kill off some of the yeasts on the elderfl.

> Too much yeast will sour the elderflower KT very quickly. Also, you only need

> very few elderflowers for your KT, as the E.taste very quickly becomes too

> intense.

>

> That's the reason I prefer to add elderflower cordial to the finished

> ordinary KT in the bottles, as you can regulate the amound much better and

> IMO achieve a better end flavour.

>

>

>> I have very bad allergies and so does my dear dog. Being bad this year.

>>

> Has that to do with the high pollen activity?

> Having had such a cool spring and rainy June, things have been much more

> tolerable here in the UK.

> Hope you and your dog will be feeling better soon!

>

> Kombuchaly,

>

> Margret:-)

>

> P.S. Just in case you are interested in my Elderflower syrup, here it is

> (I've made already 2 lots this year)

>

>

> 50 Elderflower heads

> 2500 grams sugar = 11 cups

> 4 lemons cut into wedges

> 4 limes or oranges cut into wedges

> 3 litres = 3quarts boiling water (near enough!)

> 75grams citric acid

>

>

> Elderflower heads, citrus fruit into bucket/vessel

> sugar on top and top off with boiling water (careful with glass!!)

> Leave to cool (uncovered), then cover with cloth,

> leave to infuse for about 3 days.

> On 3rd day remove elderflowers+citrusfruit.

> Drain through fine-meshed strainer.

> Add the citric acid + simmer for 10 minutes.

>

> Fill into boiling hot, sterilised bottles, close

> immediately and cool.

>

> Remove to a cool place (fridge or cellar).

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Righto about the green berries!

When you dry the flowers are you removing the green stems or drying the

flower heads as a whole?

I live in an extremely hot humid climate and drying anything here

naturally is not very recommended (mold happens on everything), BUT I am

hoping to get a food dehydrator in the relative near future.

Thank you.

--

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

~~~ Why do men fight for their servitude as stubbornly

as though it were their salvation? ~~~~

--Gilles Deleuze

> You can dry/dehydrate the flowers for later use.

> I used to harvest mine in paper bags and then hang the bags, occasionally

shaking them to the flowers could dry evenly without molding or starting to

compost.

> These days I spread them out on window screens set on racks.

>

> If the flowers are past and berries are forming, don't use the berries until

they're fully ripe. Unripe/green Elderberries have a higher cyanide content than

ripe ones (which would render the end product very dosage sensitive).

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

In message you wrote:

> Hi Margaret! Does the boiling of the syrup/conserve kill off all the

> yeast? I thought some yeast from the elderflowers was desirable?

Continuous boiling will, but just dowsing it in off the boil water leaves

quite a a bit of yeast still viable.

> In your recipe you describe topping the fruit with sugar and then

> boiling water. Do you stir to dissolve the sugar or does it just

> dissolve anyway?

As in Kombucha, it is important you stir the sugar in very well, otherwise

you end up with a solid block of sugar in your pot - like cement! ;-)

> When you say top off, do you mean just add enough

> water to cover the fruit/sugar?

I used just the amount of liquid the recipe suggested, and it did cover

all the flowers amd sugar. :-)

All best,

Margret:-)

--

+------------------ Minstrel@... --------------------+

http://www.therpc.f9.co.uk/family/scobygrow/home.html

http://bavarianminstrel.wordpress.com

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Meditations/Focus/focus.html

http://creation.com/creation-videos

'I am the bread of life. He comes to me will never go hungry'.......Jesus

[Guest guest]

Margret-- Thank you! The recipe didn't actually give a water amount,

that's why I was wondering. But " to cover " works too

Thanks so much!

--

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

~~~ Why do men fight for their servitude as stubbornly

as though it were their salvation? ~~~~

--Gilles Deleuze

> In message you wrote:

>

>

>> Hi Margaret! Does the boiling of the syrup/conserve kill off all the

>> yeast? I thought some yeast from the elderflowers was desirable?

>>

> Continuous boiling will, but just dowsing it in off the boil water leaves

> quite a a bit of yeast still viable.

>

>

>> In your recipe you describe topping the fruit with sugar and then

>> boiling water. Do you stir to dissolve the sugar or does it just

>> dissolve anyway?

>>

> As in Kombucha, it is important you stir the sugar in very well, otherwise

> you end up with a solid block of sugar in your pot - like cement! ;-)

>

>

>> When you say top off, do you mean just add enough

>> water to cover the fruit/sugar?

>>

> I used just the amount of liquid the recipe suggested, and it did cover

> all the flowers amd sugar. :-)

>

> All best,

>

> Margret:-)

>