What are you guys up to today?


Hi everyone!

I just tried my hand at making elderflower syrup for the first time.
My little one and I collected elderflowers while we were out walking the dog (well, she watched me from her stroller ; ) ).
There are so many beautiful elderberry bushes growing around here—it would be a real shame not to give it a try!
Now I just have to stir it every now and then for 3 days, then bring the collected liquid to a boil again...we’re really excited to see how it turns out!

And after lunch—it’s a quick meal today: leftovers from yesterday : )—I’ll use my little one’s nap to crochet my shirt in peace!

Hugs

Work, work, and more work. Since my little one was sick last week, so much has piled up here.

But I’m done here at 4:30 p.m.—then I’ll hurry home and finish crocheting the shawl. I estimate I still need about 4 rows until the yarn cake is used up. Then it’s time to block it. The party is next week—so just in time!

@Nina—just bring it to a boil?
I made an herbal syrup last week; the recipe said to boil it until the liquid was reduced to 1/3. Now the syrup tastes more like caramelized sugar than herbs, and it’s also pretty thick. That boiling time was definitely too long. It might have turned out better if I’d just brought it to a boil once. Could you please share the results here?
The lemon idea is great—that flavor would have really enhanced my syrup, too :-).

Hello,

I’m still at work.
I finish at 3:30 p.m., then I’ll quickly go shopping and pick up the little one.

Then it’s off home. I’ll help the older one with her homework and study with her.

Tonight I’m going out for Chinese food with my former colleague.
Her wedding gift was finished over the weekend. I’m curious to see what
she thinks of it.
The picture is in the gallery.

Best, Heike

Elderflower syrup—I’ve known it since I was a kid.
This stuff is so delicious.

I’m sitting outside on the balcony, crocheting a little, and watching the birds.

@creatOwl I envy you. 

I’ve planned some not-so-nice things for today. Tax return (the warning has already arrived) for my son, and then the duster is calling. Pollen season is over now, and I don’t have any excuse anymore. 

Handicrafts have been postponed until this evening.

I knitted 14 rows on my UFO sweater this morning; I have a meeting at 5 p.m., and before that I’d like to do a little work in the garden. Tonight, it’s time for some crafting again.
I’ve been making elderflower syrup and jelly for several years now, using flowers from the garden. I just bring the syrup to a boil. My recipe calls for citric acid or lemon juice.

@ChristinaE,
what’s your water-to-sugar ratio—1:1?

My husband and I are celebrating our third wedding anniversary today, but unfortunately he’s away on a business trip until Wednesday. My mother-in-law stopped by with some flowers today, and we went out to eat… as a sort of substitute, so to speak. :-)

But on Friday, I’ll go out for a nice meal with my husband—just the two of us, without the baby.

Now I have to make some new baby food, and tonight I’ll either sew or crochet. We’ll see.

I also made elderflower syrup a few years ago.
Here’s how I did it:
Steep 7 elderflower umbels in 1 1/2 liters of water. Let it sit for two days, then strain it. Bring the water to a boil with 2 kg of sugar, then add 50 g of citric acid. Bottle it while it’s still hot.
I remember it was delicious.

@Inna:
Okay… “bring to a quick boil” wasn’t quite the right way to put it… it has to simmer for 10 minutes… ;)

For me, it’s about 25 flower clusters, 1 liter of water, 1 kg of sugar, and 25 g of citric acid… I found the Thermomix recipe online!

@Nina,
thank you—10 minutes sounds about right; I definitely cooked it longer than that.
Next time I’ll do it right (hopefully :-)).

According to my recipe, I pour 2 liters of hot water over 10 elderflower heads, stir in 2 kg of sugar and 40 g of citric acid (or 2 dl of lemon juice), cover the mixture, and let it sit for 24 hours. Then I strain it and bring it to a boil while stirring. It’s worked perfectly so far!

@Wollefaden and @ChristinaE,
thank you both—I think I’ll just try both methods and see which one is easiest and tastes best.
Best, Inna