Green Elder Shoots

In spring and early summer the European Elder, Sambucus nigra, produces very vigorous strong green shoots from the base of the plant and sometimes the green growths arise along older branches. These can be cut, peeled and after being soaked in salted water overnight they can be eaten raw or cooked. The most surprising thing is that they are very tasty.

Elder has a very long history of household use as a medicinal herb and is also much used by herbalists. The plant has been called “the medicine chest of country people.” Visit the Encyclopedia of Herbology for more info on this useful herb.

Collecting the shoots

Cut the vigorous green growths in late spring. They can be a meter long or more, Do not collect any woody portions of the stems. If you try them and like them, you may want to have a couple of shrubs of Sambucus nigra that you grow especially for the stems. European Elder is an ideal plant for hard pruning in late winter. By cutting the previous years growth to with in 10 cm of the base in February each year strong vigorous shoots will be produced. Not all of these should be harvested, leave some to grow and produce food for the following year’s growth, much like one would treat asparagus.

Preparing the shoots:

Remove the very soft tips and the leaves. Discard any portion of the stem that is becoming woody, either cut it or snap it away.

Use a sharp knife and remove all the skin from the stem. It peels away very easily. When you have peeled the shoots cut them into 15 cm lengths or whatever size suits.

The young shoots can now be boiled in salted water with a pinch of soda to preserve the colour, they prove beautifully tender, resembling spinach, and form quite a welcome addition to the dinner table.

To Brine the shoots:

Put the peeled shoots in a bowl, cover with water and add salt, a teaspoon in about 400 ml should be enough and then add a squeeze of lemon. I find that the lemon helps preserve the color.

Leave the stems over night. The following morning refresh the water, place the shoots in a sterilized jam jar with screw top lid. You can use less salt and add a squeeze of lemon juice to help preserve the shoots.

I am not sure how long the elder shoots will hold in this way, we are still experimenting! Now that you have the shoots, how do you eat them? Here’s a quick and tasty snack, easy to prepare.

Brined Elder shoots on toast with goat cheese:

• Slices of brown bread
• Clove of garlic
• Goat cheese (you can use cheddar or any cheese)
• Dried oregano
• Some green elder shoots in brine

Method:

Toast the bread in a toaster, meanwhile peel the garlic clove and slice or grate cheese, enough to cover your bread slices, heat up the grill too! When bread has popped from the toaster rub the peeled garlic on one side of the bread.
Place the cheese on the side rubbed with garlic, sprinkle with oregano and slice the elder shoots in half and place on top. Place bread under the grill and toast until the cheese has melted.

Collected from various sources including: Blooms and Food