Part II of The Trade

I got the flowers, I went home. I removed the flowers from the umbels.

I took a pint of flowers and poured 3/4 of a jar of vodka into it, and topped it off with water. That's a elderflower tincture, after it sits a couple months, and after I have shaken it every day, or every other day, or something like that.

When I finally had the rest of the elderflower removed from it's mother twigs and umbel stems, I made big saucepan of tea with the flowers, about 3-4 cups, and the thin slices of two lemons. I first simmered this 1/2 hour, then let it steep (just sit with a lid on it) another 1/2 hour. Then, because I was bored and it wasn't getting the dark color I expected, I simmered it another 1/2 hour.

Somewhere during that last simmer, I looked out the window and gasped. My tire was flat as a pancake. So I got the jack, lifted my truck off the flat tire, and wondered what darned thing I ran over on those gravel roads I was on. About that time, a friend came over and we changed the tire to my trusty spare (not a donut) that lives month after month in the bed of my pickup.

After that I returned to the kitchen and used the sieve to remove the flowers and slices from the fluid. I added as much sugar as there was fluid, about 3 cups. Then there was foam and chunks of goo, so I also put this sweet goo through cheesecloth and a funnel and put it into a jar.

Elderflower syrup. Flat tire. In the end I had to buy a new tire. But Saturday was so good, I couldn't help but feel good about it. That's how much fun I had. Who wants to buy a new tire? But the hole I got was too big and I had no choice. And I wouldn't change my Saturday for anything. It was a first, I had fun, and the adventure is not over.


After all, I have to try the stuff, right? Heh.