Wild Harvest: Clover Blossom Cordial
White clovers, one of those ubiquitous signs of summer in the northern hemisphere, are as overlooked as they are abundant.
For me it is one of the last and surest signs of the end of winter, when I see the carpet of clover leaves start to spread in tightly huddling clumps all around the lawn surrounding the cottage and, further afield, right up to the edge of the dark wood line. And when the blossoms start to unfurl in early May I can never resist picking the largest in a bunch, putting it to my nose, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply.That unmistakable scent of tropical jasmine from my childhood appearing here, in a colder a clime, in the form of this deeply beautiful flower.
If staring for hours at the intricate complexity of its myriad little petals, and how they fan upwards like swans wings into lightening summer skies, or kneeling and filling your lungs with as much of that sacred scent as you can…if these are not enough to raise this precious plant from being called a ‘weed’ and mowed down in swathes by voracious lawn-mowers all summer long, then surely its numerous uses in the kitchen must make this humble plant one of the most valuable gifts of summer’s bounty.
The blossoms of both white and pink clovers are high in isoflavones, calcium and magnesium, and has been used for its nutritive, lymph-cleansing, and immune supporting functions since ancient times and in many different northern hemisphere cultures. I use the blossoms raw in salads and in tortilla wraps. Their sweet taste and crunchy texture are absolutely stunning when used as decorations for cakes or cupcakes; the perfect way to bring some summer joy into your baking.
One of my favorite ways to use up large harvests of white clovers, specially in mid June when they really start to pick up, it to make a cordial with it. The concentrated cordial keeps for a couple of weeks in the fridge. Dilute it with lemon juice, water, a little summer liqueur, and you have the most delicious wild elixir to cool you down on a hot and sultry afternoon.
* Make sure you only harvest these from unsprayed fields, lawns or woodland you are sure has not been contaminated by pesticides or chemical fertilizers!
White Clover Cordial Syrup:
4 cups white clover blossoms, green parts removed
2 1/2 cups (or enough to cover) water
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup rum
Pour the water over the blossoms in a saucepan, and bring to a full boil. Allow to boil for about 10-15 mins, then let it simmer for a further 5 mins
Strain the flowers and collect 2 1/2 cups of the liquid. Add more water if needed, and return to the saucepan
Add the sugar and the rum and bring to a full rolling boil. Reduce the heat.
Simmer till the syrup has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Pour into a ball jar or old cordial bottle. Cool.
It will store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To serve, dilute with water, add a dash of lemon juice, and handful of shredded lemon balm leaves, some white rum or schnapps of choice.
