Elderberries

[baymule]

I dehydrated some of the elderberries we picked. I rubbed them through a wire strainer to remove more of the stems. Then I bagged them up, 2 cups to a bag, got 3 bags. I keep a quart jar of elderberry syrup in the refrigerator. I pout a stall amount in a juice glass and fill the glass with cranberry juice for a refreshing drink.

 

[Carol Dee]

I dehydrated some of the elderberries we picked. I rubbed them through a wire strainer to remove more of the stems. Then I bagged them up, 2 cups to a bag, got 3 bags. I keep a quart jar of elderberry syrup in the refrigerator. I pout a stall amount in a juice glass and fill the glass with cranberry juice for a refreshing drink.

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It does sound refreshing. DH and I are looking at getting two elderberries to plant at the lot.

 

[henless]

If anyone buys elderberries for planting, try and get American Elderberries. They don't have the cyanide problem like the European ones do.

I planted mine this year, and sadly only 1 put out 1 stem of berries. I did order some freeze dried ones online and will make a cordial out of it for colds/viruses. The berries left over from the cordial I'll make a chutney with apples and see how that tastes.

 

[Finnie]

So @baymule , I have what I always thought was an American Elderberry. (Bought from Master Gardener plant sale 10 years ago.) This is the first year it has produced berries, and I kept waiting for them to turn purple. But they are heavy and ripe now, and they are red! I tried to look up red elderberries, and they exist, but I guess they aren’t the kind you can eat.

But the leaves and bark on mine don’t match what I see on line. Do you know if this is even elderberry? Maybe I have some kind of poison berry tree.

Sorry they are sideways. My smartphone does that if it thinks the photo is oriented wrong

 

[baymule]

You gotta be kidding me! Those don't look like any elderberry that I've ever seen. But then I'm no Master Gardener. The trunks of Elderberries never get that big and they are jointed like cane. Not as noticeable, but jointed. They are even referred to as canes. I think you have something entirely different.

 

[seedcorn]

Don’t know what they are. Keep trying to kill off. Birds don’t eat them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

But the leaves and bark on mine don’t match what I see on line.

No, those do not look like the elderberry leaves I'm used to. They look more like gooseberry leaves but those are not gooseberries so that is not it. Before I ate any I'd send those photos to your county extension office and see if they can identify them.

 

[digitS']

How about these?

These are red currants. I suggest a search for Ribes rubrum using site:edu until you are sure before eating them. There is an ornamental species that may not be suitable if this is a Ribes.

Steve

if currants, think about baking scones

 

[Finnie]

You gotta be kidding me! Those don't look like any elderberry that I've ever seen. But then I'm no Master Gardener. The trunks of Elderberries never get that big and they are jointed like cane. Not as noticeable, but jointed. They are even referred to as canes. I think you have something entirely different.

I think you are right.

Don’t know what they are. Keep trying to kill off. Birds don’t eat them.

Yes! I was expecting to have to beat the birds to them when they were ripe enough to pick, but you hit the nail on the head. They are untouched by the birds.

No, those do not look like the elderberry leaves I'm used to. They look more like gooseberry leaves but those are not gooseberries so that is not it. Before I ate any I'd send those photos to your county extension office and see if they can identify them.

That is an excellent idea.

How about these?

These are red currants. I suggest a search for Ribes rubrum using site:edu until you are sure before eating them. There is an ornamental species that may not be suitable if this is a Ribes.

Steve

if currants, think about baking scones

These don’t seem to have the little brown dots on the blossom ends like those currants do.

And now you’ve got me wanting some scones!

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I wonder what kind of berry ripens in October? Elderberries ripened months ago.