Elderflower

Sambucus nigra is a temperate species of tree or shrub in the family Viburnaceae, native to the Azores, Europe, and the Middle East. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree, often growing to 6-10 metres tall. It grows in a wide range of habitats, including woodland, grassland, hedgerows, scrub and river banks. The flowers are ivory white and borne in large, flat corymbs 8-24 cm in diameter in late spring to mid-summer. The flowers have no nectar but produce a strong scent that attracts pollinating flies, beetles, and bees. Elderflowers are consumed as herbal tea.

In elder flower syrup, cis-rose oxide, nerol oxide, hotrienol and nonanal contribute to the characteristic elder flower odour. Linalool, α-terpineol, 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one and (Z)-β-ocimene add floral notes. Pentanal, heptanal and β-damascenone are associated with fruity odours, while fresh and grassy odours are primarily correlated with hexanal, hexanol and (Z)-3-hexenol. The aroma composition of elderflowers includes aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, esters, oxides, terpenes and free fatty acids.

cis-Linalool oxide (pyranoid) at 27.3% and 2-hexanone at 10.5% were the main compounds of an n-hexane extract of dried elderflowers cultivated in Kütahya, Turkey. Heneicosane (18.8%), tricosane (17.3%), nonadecane (13%) and pentacosane (10.3%) were the major compounds of an essential oil obtained from them by hydrodistillation. In an essential oil obtained by steam distillation, trans-3,7-dimethyl-1,3,7-octatrien-3-ol (13%), palmitic acid (11.3%) and linalool (3.7%) were among the main compounds.

Black elder extracts are put into cosmetic products for irritated skin. The flowerheads are commonly infused to make a drink in Northern Europe and the Balkans, sold commercially as elderflower cordial or elderflower pressé. Elderflower cordial is a soft drink made largely from a refined sugar and water solution and the flowers of the European elder. The cordial is made by steeping the elderflower heads in a concentrated sugar solution so that the flavour infuses into the syrup. The flowerheads are best collected fresh, when the tiny buds have just opened, before the fragrance is tainted with bitterness. The popularity of this traditional drink has encouraged some commercial soft drink producers to introduce elderflower-flavoured drinks. The flowers may also be battered and fried as elderflower fritters.

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