Elderberry 24 pounds picked today.

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DDYUW 18 August 2011 Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Twenty four pounds of elderberries were picked today and made into juice. Some were a bit dry, since we didn’t have rain for about ten days. Tonight it rained hard, so the remaining berries by the day after tomorrow should be prime.

[wildbee]

wow you've been busy! Need to pick mine but got no jam jars left. What's the juice like?

[Durgan]

wow you've been busy! Need to pick mine but got no jam jars left. What's the juice like?

Juice is sort of typical rates up there with blackberry, cherry, grape, blackcurrant and gooseberry. Elderberry is not very sweet in its natural state, but more than acceptable.

[Millymollymandy]

That must take you all day to pick them off the stalks Durgan!!!! I'm just picking a few at a time, spending half an hour or so getting the berries off and washed ready to freeze, and only weighs in at about 200-300g of berries each time. It's so time consuming I never get as many as I would like for turning into cordial and jelly.

Elderberry and redcurrant is excellent as a cordial - so want to make more this year.

[Durgan]

That must take you all day to pick them off the stalks Durgan!!!! I'm just picking a few at a time, spending half an hour or so getting the berries off and washed ready to freeze, and only weighs in at about 200-300g of berries each time. It's so time consuming I never get as many as I would like for turning into cordial and jelly.

Elderberry and redcurrant is excellent as a cordial - so want to make more this year.

Look at my photos. It only take a few minutes to shake the berries off their support structure using the wire mesh, and moving the bundle of berries across the mesh.

[Millymollymandy]

I can't do that as I have to pick out the good berries from the dessicated and unripe green ones. I don't fancy either of them in my crumbles that's for sure!

I thought from your photos you just did it all by hand, as it wasn't apparent.

[pelmetman]

Elderberries in crumbles? Never would have thought of that, must give it a try.

We've only ever made wine

Sue

[Millymollymandy]

God yes, they're the best - apple, rhubarb and a good handful of nice elderberries is my all time fave crumble! I always freeze little tubs with just the right amount for a crumble. Makes it a lovely red colour and adds a bit of flavour. Also I make fabulous redcurrant, elderberry and apple jelly and redcurrant and elderberry cordial. They are a wonderful versatile fruit.

[indy]

Mine are't quite ready yet, am hopeful in the next few days though, had never thought of crumble, will give that a go

[Durgan]

I can't do that as I have to pick out the good berries from the dessicated and unripe green ones. I don't fancy either of them in my crumbles that's for sure!

I thought from your photos you just did it all by hand, as it wasn't apparent.

Depending upon the weather usually the elderberry bunches are all ripe in a homogenous style. This year the rain is sporadic and the berries are not as pristine as usual. There are many trees not fully ripe yet. Now I will wait until all the berries on the tree are ripe..

I do pick some nicer bunches, ripe and full size, but since juice is my objective mixing a few less ripe is not really an issue. If the weather is dry too long,, when the berries are forming they tend to shrink, and are not as juicy as when they have adequate moisture.

[Millymollymandy]

Mine are not very big fruit bunches - rather small this year and last, whether that's related to the weather I don't know but the self seeded trees in my orchard are on a stream bank so I think they have some moisture at all times.

I now have nearly a whole kilo of very carefully picked over berries! Actually they are FAR easier to deal with than blackcurrants or redcurrants, so I find it quite a nice 'chore' to do especially on a hot afternoon when I can escape inside for a while!

Need to get the stepladders out now to get at the bigger better ones which are always up too high. I can't get to the other side of the trees as the stream is in a little gully about 4 foot lower than the land so if I stand in the stream I can't reach the tree properly! And my wellies are very leaky!

[Durgan]

Mine are not very big fruit bunches - rather small this year and last, whether that's related to the weather I don't know but the self seeded trees in my orchard are on a stream bank so I think they have some moisture at all times.

I now have nearly a whole kilo of very carefully picked over berries! Actually they are FAR easier to deal with than blackcurrants or redcurrants, so I find it quite a nice 'chore' to do especially on a hot afternoon when I can escape inside for a while!

Need to get the stepladders out now to get at the bigger better ones which are always up too high. I can't get to the other side of the trees as the stream is in a little gully about 4 foot lower than the land so if I stand in the stream I can't reach the tree properly! And my wellies are very leaky!

How about some pictures?

[Millymollymandy]

What of Durgan? The tree, or the not very big bunches of berries? It's not really very exciting unless I fall off the stepladder.....

[Durgan]

What of Durgan? The tree, or the not very big bunches of berries? It's not really very exciting unless I fall off the stepladder.....

A vista shot. Close up of a fat, black, cluster. The full bush. I find it exciting, since it gives a chance to compare to what her is available in my area.

The elderberry bushes must be very tall if you need a ladder. I simply pull the bush down to my hand level while standing on the ground. I can always reach all clusters in this manner.

[Millymollymandy]

OK but it's not a lot different from yours.... the main bush is quite tall - I don't recall it being here when we bought the place in 2004 but noticed it a few years later. I prune it back a bit each year on the sides I can reach as you get a lot of dead wood and it overhangs where my husband has to mow. Then there are a couple more spindly bushes. I reckon the main one is about 10 foot high now but it's really wide so I can't reach up to pull it down to pick easily.