How to Make Elderflower Lemonade

Elderflower lemonade is a summertime favorite on the farm. Made with just wild foraged elderflowers, sugar, lemons, and water this recipe is quick and easy to make. This sweet and floral steeped drink is the perfect refreshment on a hot day!

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Elderflower lemonade is a summertime favorite on the farm. In late June when the elders bloom in our driveway, we collect some blossoms and use them to make a sweet and floral steeped drink our family loves.

Made with just wild foraged elderflowers, sugar, lemons, and water this recipe is quick and easy to make. It’s the perfect refreshment on a hot day, give it a try!

Identifying Elderflower

I use wild elderflowers to make this lemonade. Below are some tips and precautions for collecting and using foraged elderflowers. If foraging isn’t your jam, you can purchase elderflower cordial online or in a store and use that to make lemonade instead.

Elderflowers come from the American black elderberry (or common elderberry) which is native to much of the eastern United States. It grows in moist, well-draining soil with access to plenty of sunlight. Elders grow on the sides of the swamp that our driveway passes through.

Elder shrubs get quite big, often reaching over 10 feet tall. They have green, pointed leaves and develop large heads of small white flowers in the early summer that turn into dark purple (almost black) berries in late August and September.

I only harvest a few elderflower heads to make lemonade because I want to make sure I have plenty of berries available later for making elderberry syrup. For my spiced elderberry syrup recipe, click here!

It is important to note that while elderflower heads are safe to consume right off the plant, the berries should not be eaten without being cooked first. Raw elderberries are poisonous and can cause gastrointestinal upset or worse if consumed in excess.

As with any foraging endeavor, it is always best to err on the side of caution. If this is your first time, I recommend working with an experienced forager or at least using a plant identification book or smartphone app to help you identify elderflowers.

Harvesting Elderflowers

Once you have identified an elderberry bush, you can use your fingers to gently remove flowerheads from their stem. I keep the flowerheads intact for making lemonade.

As you are collecting them, you can give the flowerheads a gentle shake to remove any insects that may be hanging on. I use a basket to gather them and bring them home.

Materials Needed to Make Elderflower Lemonade

• 2-quart Mason jar
• Cloth lid for steeping
• Regular canning jar lid
• Measuring cups
• Cutting board
• Kitchen knife
• Mesh strainer
• Cheese cloth

You can make your lemonade right in a 2-quart Mason jar. You will need a cloth lid while the lemonade is steeping and once it’s done you can put a regular lid on it in the refrigerator.

Use measuring cups for adding sugar and a cutting board and knife for preparing the lemons. After steeping the lemonade, you will use a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth for straining the mixture.

Ingredients for Elderflower Lemonade

• 6 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 5-7 elderflower heads
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 lemons, sliced in rings

I use tap water and granulated white sugar to make elderflower lemonade. You can use honey as a sweetener instead of sugar if you wish.

Directions to Make Elderflower Lemonade

1. Collect 5-7 elderflower heads. Shake them gently to remove insects, but do not rinse. Set them aside.
2. Put 1 cup of sugar into your 2-quart Mason jar.
3. Fill the Mason jar about halfway with hot water. Put a canning lid tightly on the jar and shake until all the sugar is dissolved.
4. Add 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice and two lemons, sliced into rings, to the sugar water mixture.
5. Add the elderflower heads to the Mason jar.
6. Top the jar off with more tap water.
7. Put a breathable cloth covering over the opening and let the jar steep in a sunny spot for 3 days. I put my steeping lemonade in my bay window.
8. After 3 days have elapsed, line a mesh strainer with cheese cloth and strain the contents of the original Mason jar into a clean one.
9. Taste test your lemonade. If it’s a little sweet, dilute it by adding more water to the jar.
10. Pour over ice, garnish with fresh mint or a lemon slice, and enjoy!
11. Store with a canning jar lid in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Ways to Enjoy Elderflower Lemonade

Of course, elderflower lemonade is great on its own, but you can also add strawberries for a fruity twist or mix it in equal parts with iced tea for an Arnold Palmer.

For the adults, add gin or vodka to your elderflower lemonade for a refreshing cocktail. I make compound gin with wild juniper berries, click here to learn how!