Respect your elder

Good day to you all. We hope you are well. We really do – after all, we wouldn’t resort to pleasantries and mere small talk when Blighty is under threat from a pandemic.

Oh yes, a fever is sweeping the nation. Although whether that fever is bringing high temperatures or a lot of hot air seems up for debate.

Here at Belvoir Fruit Farms, we’re just glad to see the return of those iconic war posters. This one, Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases by Herbert Mayo Bateman, is a particular favourite (thanks, National Archives!) and sits rather nicely with the design of the Belvoir On For Britain blog.

So as health and wellbeing seems to be at the forefront of people’s minds, we thought we’d open the fabled Belvoir Fruit Farm recipe book to a share a little information on the good properties of our much-loved ingredients. This week: the elderflower.

(At this point, our legal eagles would like us to point out that whilst we make incredibly delicious drinks, we are not medicine gurus and you should always consult your friendly doctor before quaffing our cordials in the hope of a quick recovery.)

Herbal lore

Every part of the elder – bark, leaves, flowers and berries – has been used within domestic medicine since the days of Hippocrates (smart guy; they still swear by him). Epilepsy, asthma, hay-fever, inflammation of the eyes and general nasal stuffiness were all treated with elder. Elder ointment was used for sprains and bruises whilst a distillation of elderflowers was thought to clear up complexions, the effects of sunburn and even freckles. It was also said to cure sore throats and alleviate the symptoms of colds and flu.

Modern herbalists have found that elderflowers contain flavonoids (17 points in Scrabble) which have antioxidant (19) and immunologic (18) properties.

Folklore

If you’re going in search of fairies. it is said that the best time is on Midsummer’s Eve beneath an elder bush. If you look hard enough, you just might see the Fairy King and Queen together with their entourage passing by!

An elder planted at your back door is believed to keep evil spirits from entering the house (we recommend a weatherproof, sturdy lock too) and act as a protector to the other plants in your garden.

Elderflower production

Still very much a tree of the woods and hedgerows, it is only in recent times that elders have been cultivated on a large scale. Belvoir Fruit Farms uses over 90 acres of land in the grounds of Belvoir Castle to organically grow its elders. Hand-picked and then hand-pressed, the elderflowers are infused with lemon and sugar syrup to create the unique fresh flavour of Belvoir’s Elderflower Cordial.

Belvoir’s Elderflower Cordial

Shoo the imposters, for Belvoir Fruit Farms is the original producer of elderflower cordial. To this day, we use the very same recipe Lady Mary Manners used to quench the thirst of friends and family over 25 years ago.

Belvoir’s Elderflower Cordial is delicious served chilled with still or sparkling water. And for a summer celebration, pop a small dash of elderflower cordial into a champagne flute and top up with fizz.

And if too much of this good stuff leaves with you with a sore head, elderflower cordial sans champagne is a perfect morning-after remedy that helps to clear the mind.

To stock up with Elderflower Cordial in preparation for The Big Sneeze, head to your nearest fine food retailer, discerning supermarket, or, of course, our very own online shop.