Elderflower syrup is delicious in many ways. About vanilla ice cream, in tea, in sparkling wine, in cocktails, on waffles, pancakes, sweet omelets and whatever else the imagination has to offer.
The flowers should be harvested in early summer, as soon as the intense smell spreads in the vicinity of the bushes. It is best to harvest in the late morning on a dry and sunny day. For the syrup we need about 30 large flower umbels. If the cones are rather small, simply harvest more by feeling.
Tip: After cutting off the bush, shake the flowers once or twice to get rid of most of the insects.
Bring a sufficiently large saucepan with the water, the tonka bean and the vanilla pod to the boil and dissolve the sugar in it. Then keep the sugar syrup warm.
Use scissors to remove the coarse stems from the flower umbels, which can be very bitter. Transfer to a large bowl or saucepan. Add lemon juice, zest and lemon wedges and stir with your hands.
Now bring the sugar syrup to the boil again and pour over the soured flowers. Stir vigorously and let cool down. Cover the pot or bowl and place it in a cool and dark place for 5 days.
Then pass through a fine cloth or very fine sieve into a saucepan. Passing cloth is better because it also catches fine suspended matter and the syrup becomes nice and clear. Bring to the boil again and fill into the provided bottles. Rinse the bottles and lids with boiling water beforehand.
Let it ripen for another week in a cool place and then enjoy. The syrup will keep cool and dark for at least a year.
By the way: the tonka bean and vanilla can still be used. Rinse well and dry off. Halve both and place in a screw-top jar with white sugar. Shake thoroughly every two days and after eight days you will have your own vanilla tonka sugar. When it runs low, add more sugar and shake. Can be repeated at least five times.
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