Elderberry recipes?

[MamaGoblin]

There are loads of luscious-looking elderberries round here, and every september I think 'really should do something with them' and never do. Please help me find my inner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall (urk) and suggest some recipes that work!

No help but will watch with interest as I feel exactly the same.

apparently you can cook them in an apple pie
but i haven't tried it
i am also watching with interest

We make elderberry syrup which is very high in vitamin C. I give it to the family with mixed upi with hot water in the winter when they have colds and in the summer we drink it with fizzy water. They are also good sprinkled in apple and blackberry crumble. They freeze well too.

Will get my syrup recipe..................

Strip the fruit from the stems and put into a pan adding just enough water to cover.

Simmer for 30 minutes until the berries are very soft.

Strain through a jelly bag or muslin and measure the juice.

Allow 450g (1lb) sugar and 10 cloves to each pint of juice.

Heat the juice gently, stirring in the sugar until dissolved.

Boil for 10 minutes and then leave until cold.

The syrup may be frozen in small quantities or packed into small, screw-topped, soft drink bottles which have been sterilized.

I tend to freeze it in small yogurt pots with clingfoil over the top, then when you need it you can get out a little at a time. It will not freeze solid so you can freeze it in larger container and scoop it out. The kids at work like it frozen straight off a teaspoon when they have sore throats.

Syrup - ok, might give that a go - thank you! If you sprinkle them into crumbles, don't they taste horrible? I thought they needed a lot of sweetening. Or is the sweetness in the crumble enough?

Any more? Something alcoholic, perhaps?

In crumble I just put a small handful you get the occasional taste ofthem but the sweetness of the apple and blackberry cancel it out.

My mum has this recipe which she loves but I have not made it:

4 cups fresh elderberries, picked over and washed
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup water
3 cups 100-proof vodka

Crush elderberries and sugar in a bowl. Let stand about 1 hour. Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Transfer to an aging container (mum uses 2 big old preserving jars)and add the vodka and water. Age in a cool, dark place for 1 month, stiring vigorously occasionally.

Strain and filter, age for 1 week. Rack and transfer to final container. Age 1 month before serving.

Mum sugests using cheap vodka from lidl or aldi.

Oopsacoconut, do you know if you can also use the berries from the more rarified types of elder? I want to get something like a Black Lace one, but I would want to eat the fruit. Black Lace has dark red/purple foliage and delicate purpley flowers.

Thanks, that's the easiest Elderberry Booze recipe I've seen! Was googling for Elderberry Wine methods but I'm afraid what I read scared me off! So would you call that Elderberry Wine or Elderberry Vodka?

last year i made a mixed hedgerow jelly wich was oyt of this world!
crab apples, blackberries, rowan berries and elderberries. All free from the hedgerows (obviously) apart from teh sugar

if you can't find a recipe let me know and i'll post it

I made some elderberry cordial one year but no-one really liked it much. Unlike the elderflower cordial which is great.

I would be interested to see the mixed hedgerow jelly recipe as all that stuff is all over the place here.

alchemillamollis - yes as far as I know you can use the black lace fruit.

I have made 2 batches of elderberry syrup this afternoon all jarred up and waiting for pancakes!

The River Cottage Preserves book has a recipe for a sort of savoury elderberry sauce to use with meat, in gravy etc. I think it is called POntack Sauce - you might get be able to google it. It sounds good, and I'm thinking of making some if I can summon up the energy. Let me know if you want it and I'll post the recipe when I have a bit more time.

My dad used to make elderberry wine every year. It was foul, and very potent. So potent that my granny got plastered on it one NYE and threw up, flushing her false teeth away in the process. The spares were in Aberdeen and we were in Herts, so she spent a gummy New Year.

You have been warned.

Thanks, oopsacoconut. Pretty and edible, yum.

You can also make Elderberry and Blackberry Jam which is really tasty. Use 1 lb of each and 2 lbs of jam sugar.

I've been searching for recipes all night and finally found this page, I'm over the moon esp as I have a carrier bag sitting on the kitchen bench that we foraged earlier this evening..... roll on tomorrow, can't wait to get cooking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've managed to make the syrup with no problems, it's really nice, boys love it straight off a spoon

thanks for the recipe xxx