elderberries

[bobm]

I have 2 Black Lace elderberry bushes that are loaded with fruit. Does anyone have best way to harvest the berries as they are nearing their readiness to be ripe ? Also, I would like to get some information as to the best way to process the berries to make, juice, jelly, as well as wine.

 

[mythreesons]

I pick the umbrellas put them into a freezer bag until frozen then the berries just fall off the stems.

I have only used my berries to make a tincture (fill a quart jar half way with the berries, crush them then fill the jar with 80 proof vodka put the cap on mix it well put in a cool dark place shaking it every couple days for 6-weeks minimum, strain out the berries and store in a cool dark place) this my cold and flu medicine that I consume a teaspoon faithfully everyday all winter long unless I feel like I'm getting sick then I take a teaspoon every couple of hours the first 24 hrs..it's very important if you decide to only take when you feel like your getting sick is to take this at the very first sign of sickness other wise it's not very effective imho.

I'm hoping this year since mine bushes are more matured and have a lot more berries that I can get enough to make jelly..I was going to say wine also but I made many gallons of dandelion wine that needs to be drunk first.HTH's..

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I have a lot of elderberries in the freezer and my bushes are about ripe. I am going to make some jelly, but what else can you do with elderberries?

 

[digitS']

Okay, I attempted to be a garden or wild harvest winemaker for several years. My idea was that there are hundreds of grape wines in the stores so why bother with grapes?

Elderberry really came out the best and easiest, easiest to be drinkable, that is .

The first batch was way back in the 70's and I had recipes in a book called Fruit Wines but had to wing it because there was not one for elderberry. Later, during the "internet age," I decided that one of Jack Keller's recipes was closest I could find.

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/elderber.asp

ELDERBERRY WINE (2)

Elderberry ripen at my busiest time of the year. Taking the stems off was the tedious. I didn't think of freezing them first!

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

They are poisonous raw. Be very careful people have dead drinking wine not made correct. A few berries eaten off bush can cause projectile vomiting. I know first hand when I fed a friend some.

 

[Nyboy]

http://normsfarms.com/are-elderberry-bushes-poisonous/

 

[majorcatfish]

interesting have in the pass eaten them, so why am i alive ?

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I bought some organic juice from the store and realized no sugar. Blue berry/pomegranate and it has apple juice. I have raspberry, blackberry and elderberry which are all sour. I wonder if I can my juice, if I can open it later and flavor it. Something like this - http://nordicfoodliving.com/elderberry-juice/ I watched a video of a man using a steam juicer and canning blackberry juice and adding sugar. I have to start juicing this fruit to make room in the freezers. This link looks interesting mixing apple juice with elderberry.