Making Elderflower Juice

One of my favorite seasonal recipes in Romania is elderflower juice. The elderflower season is very short - only a couple weeks at the beginning of June. Add to this short season the fact that you can't keep elderflower juice beyond a few days after it's made, and you get a special drink for which one awaits with great anticipation.

Unlike in the US, where elderflower trees are rare, elderflower trees grow all over the place in Romania. It's quite easy to I stop along the side of the road, pick a few elderflowers, and take them home to make juice.


To make the juice, start with the elderflowers:

Then slice a lemon:


Add some sugar:
All of this goes in a 5 Liter bottle. Let it set for 2-3 days. Then it's ready to drink.