Elderberry recipes

[User00047]

It's that time of the year again. Looks like a reasonable crop this year. What do you do with your elderberries? Wine? Schnapps? Liqueur? ?.......
Anyone use them for cooking?

 

[karlbird]

Mate - this is really spooky, I was out with a mate this afternoon walking the pooch and asked exactly the same thing.

Therefore I look forward to the answers you get - cheers Reuben!!

 

[Gazza0208]

Elderberry Recipes: Elderflower Liqueur


I used this receipe some years back, and every other year since with great success, one word of advice use very ripe berries.

 

[karlbird]

Confused, you say use ripe berries - the recipe is for elderflower liqueur?!

 

[User00047]

I'm thinking maybe a kind of apple and elderberry schnapps would be good for a bit of an experiment. According to one recipe it should be ready in just a couple of weeks!

 

[Lampwick]

Confused, you say use ripe berries - the recipe is for elderflower liqueur?!

He said "very ripe berries"

 

[karlbird]

That's what I mean, so just use very ripe berries instead of the elderflower in the recipe?

 

[bogtrotter]

My mother used to make elderberry jelly use as you would cranberry jelly.

 

[Gazza0208]

Confused, you say use ripe berries - the recipe is for elderflower liqueur?!

Ripe berries like all hedgerow stuff break down quicker and are much sweeter to use. Using them a little early and you have a sour tasting
liqueur, or thats what I find.

 

[levigsp]

So here is a family recipe.
4 pints elderberry juce
4 pints apple juce
i gallon water
2 cups salt,
1 cup brown sugar,
2 tablespoons aromatics.
I tablespoon Black pepper.
Heat the Apple and Elder juces in a large sauce pan until boiling and disolve the sugar, salt, pepper & aromatics.
Once disolved and boiling add to the 1 gallon cold water and leave to completely cool.
Use as a brine for Venison haunch [overnight] before roasting.

Add a pint of Rowan berries whilst boiling, for a great wild boar brine, or

Change the elder for orange, lemon and dark soy in equal quantaties for a great pork brine.

 

[tozzybum]

ripe elderberries in the freezer for 24 hours to split .put about a pound in a big kilner jar sprinkle with about 500g sugar let the berries thaw out .then put vodka /gin/or white rum in to the top .depending on your tipple gents ,spin once every day for about 3/4 weeks.stick in a cupboard in the darkest corner and leave it alone .wait 3 to 4 months and then put Zulu in the DVD player ,fill a bowl with nibbles open the drink and

 

[beer can]

I used to make elderberry wine with great results. best drunk young within 12 months if i remember correctly. Excellent as a wine by itself. As a variety i tried elderberry and apple which became my favorite. take longer than schnapps. why not do both.

steve

 

[Feugh]

Try this:
http://www.gallowaywildfoods.com/?page_id=1219
We use this as a replacement for balsamic vinegar, and it's great. We eat it with fresh bread and olive oil, or over salads - anywhere that we may have used balsamic. I can thoroughly recommend it - plus it's easy to make.
Otherwise, this year's experiment will be elderberry jelly. Apparently the berries are packed with anti-oxidants and are very good for anyone suffering from a cold or flu, so a spoonful of jelly in hot water is meant to be helpful for man flu. My family put jelly/jam into natural yoghurt to add some more flavor, so this will be added to the choices available from the cupboard.