Can it be that time of year again already? I'm just finishing off my summer batch of elderflower cordial and yesterday, as I walked home, I saw that my favourite spot for collecting the elder tree's bounty was positively dripping with ripe elder berries.
I'm sure a lot of people would either not notice this beautiful spectacle or might think "lovely" and pass on by. But not me. I paused to 'see something of the beauty of nature' (to quote John Mortimer) then dashed home to fetch a bucket and secateurs.
Of course I left plenty for birds and other wildlife and, believe me, they'll have those berries stripped to the stalk in days.
So my berries are now washed clean of bugs and dirt and frozen ready for pies, jam and syrup. Why freeze? The berries don't last long in the fridge so freezing is an excellent way of preserving them until needed. Also, the berries pop off the stalks more easily when frozen, which is a better option than squishing them and getting purple fingers (and clothes!).
I simply laid them out flat on several baking sheets and popped them in the freezer overnight. De-stemmed them in the morning then bagged them up, and returned the berries to the freezer. It can be a time consuming (or shall we say, meditative) process so quite a few went into the freezer still on the stem. That's okay as I'll discard the stems when I have more time.
It's worth noting that while the flowers are edible, the raw berries are toxic, as is the rest of the plant. But the good news is that cooking the berries destroys the toxins making them a useful addition to all sorts of recipes.
Me, I'm starting with Elderberry Syrup. I've found a recipe on The Spruce Eats, an American site, which sounds rather like the warming winter tincture I usually buy to boost my immune system during the colder months. In that recipe the berries are cooked, mashed, strained and then lightly spiced with honey, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and lemon. Sounds delicious. (Find that recipe here if interested.)
Oh, my, those look delicious. The only time I ever see elderberries is up in the mountains, if I happen to make the journey our cabin at the right time of summer. Even if they are ripe, the bushes are so tall, I can't reach much of the fruit. Getting enough berries home to do something with is still a dream to me, probably never to be realized. But if it ever happens, I will remember your freezer method.
ReplyDeleteI really must give this a go this year.xxx
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