Interesting Foraging for early Spring

I have been making cordials from flowers, mostly that are blooming in my garden. In the summer, plain water is not as exciting as flavoured. I keep a jug od cold brewed teas in my fridge- it contains anything from the cupboard, until my flowers are blooming. I like currant tea, dried Hibiscus (Sorrel), fresh grated ginger, even black or green tea and tisanes from Poland.

When the flowers come in, I switch to making Cordials. They are easy and I store them in the fridge to dilute with Montpelier sparkling water.

So far I have made Dandelion Cordial and Violet Cordial.

I did forage 4 c of Black Locust Blossoms for a cordial which I will make this week. Also Rugosa Roses which are blooming right now.

Also ready to forage if you have a lot of Pines that can be accessed, is Pine Pollen.

Here's a link to a site that explains the how-tos of collecting Pollen.

https://foragerchef.com/pine-pollen/

Here's how:

DANDELION CORDIAL 🌼

Cordial is a brew of flower petals (or herbs), citrus, water, and honey. This concentrated syrup is often added to alcoholic beverages to make cocktails. It was extremely popular during the middle ages.

Almost any edible flower can be used to make a cordial. This sweet citrus syrup is delicious in lemonade, sparkling water, cocktails and even herbal tea!

Just substitute any edible flower for the dandelions.

RECIPE 

• 40–50 Dandelion flower heads (sepals removed)

• 1 lemon (zest and juice)

• 1 cup raw honey (or sugar)

• 4 ½ cups of water

1. Collect dandelion flowers and lay them out to dry for an hour or so, so that any insects residing in them will leave. We need the naturally occurring yeast on the dandelion petals for our slight fermentation, therefore do not wash them. Make sure you harvest your flowers from areas that are clean and organic.

2. After you have allowed all of the insects to disperse, start by removing the sepals (the green parts) from your flowers.

3. Add the lemon zest and juice to the flowers.

4. Boil the water on the stove. Pour boiling water over the flowers, then add the honey. Mix until honey is dissolved. Place a clean towel or cheese cloth over your bowl and allow it to sit overnight to infuse and ferment.

5. In the morning, strain out your flowers and bottle your cordial. This will stay good in the refrigerator for about a week. For a longer shelf life, brandy or vodka can be added.