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Is it normal that when you first smell the elder flowers they smell lovely then after a while the smell turns to cat's pee? I thought it was supposed to be just the going over flowers that smelt like that - I remember walks in the countryside with that revolting odour!

Anyway I picked my flowers yesterday - started off sniffing that lovely aroma but after a while I was surrounded by horrible smell (and nobody warned me I'd be covered in yellow pollen either which got all up my nose and over my face and clothes because I kept on sniffing them trying to find flowers that didn't smell horrible! ). Duly made my cordial whilst worrying to death I'd made cat's pee cordial (and covering sink and myself with yellow pollen again shaking out the bugs!).

However before going to bed about 4 or 5 hours later the cordial steeping had returned to the nice smell of elderflowers. This morning the kitchen smelt lovely (thank god!!!) but the cellar where the spare flower heads were smelt like strong cat's pee the moment I walked in there, yet the actual flowers themselves smelt nice when I stuck my nose in them!

This is wierd, is it similar to that effect where you smell violets and they smell lovely, then smell them again and the smell has disappeared?

MMM,
I have the same thing with elderflowers. I catch a whiff and love it, I put my nose in the flowers and it smells ... not so nice. Don't know what it is but last year's cordial turned out all right. I thought it was my imagination, so I'm glad to hear your experience.

Jandra

I read somewhere that, for making wine, the really white elderflowers are good and the slightly more creamy ones are the cat-pee versions. Maybe it's true.

Mike

I thought there would have been more response given how many people made cordial, but never mind - Jandra so long as you have the same or similar experience then I know it's not just me!

Anyway the cordial is delicious and doesn't have any nasty smell or taste - but I did wonder if I drank a lot of it would the flavour suddenly turn horrible.....

MKG wrote:I read somewhere that, for making wine, the really white elderflowers are good and the slightly more creamy ones are the cat-pee versions. Maybe it's true.

Mike

They all smelt vile after a while, older ones, new ones, ones barely opening up....

I would say 'mouse-dropping' aroma rather than cat-pee aroma.

Well Jeremy, as I have never had a good old sniff of mouse droppings I wouldn't know!

MMM, What a sheltered life you have led!

Oh I dunno, I've had plenty of rat droppings in the hen house, I just never felt the 'need' to get down on hands and knees and sniff them!

JeremyinCzechRep wrote:I would say 'mouse-dropping' aroma rather than cat-pee aroma.

it's definatly cat wee...

I've never described it as cat pee but they don't ever smell as nice as that initial whiff and the smell in the bucket is not as nice either. The cordial tastes lovely though so that's fine by me!

Greetings! Sambucus (elder or elderberry) is a genus of between 5 and 30 species of shrubs or small trees, formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but now shown by genetic evidence to be correctly classified in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. Two of its species are herbaceous.

The genus is native in temperate-to-subtropical regions of both the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. It is more widespread in the Northern Hemisphere; its Southern Hemisphere occurrence is restricted to parts of Australasia and South America.

id say it was a cat pee wiff yes. best to pick them when the sun is on them, and process quickly or the smell develops

some smell better than others

This thread's making me giggle. A load of responsible (what am I saying? ) and serious-minded ( ) people actually discussing whether elderflower actually smells like cats' pee or something else. I can't wait for the Ishers after-dinner chat.

"Well now, just before the cheese is served, rub this on your hands and tell me - is it feline urine or faecal mouse matter? What? Yes - I do make a drink from it. Why do you ask?"

Mike

I'd say, it just smells a bit weird.

Is there a difference between the ones that bear red berries and the ones that have black berries? Can you use the flowers from either variety or not?