Elderberry Juice

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?TPVRN 26 August 2012 Elderberry Juice
This year about 30 pounds of elderberries have been picked and processed into juice.About two pounds of berries make one litre of juice.The berries are not as prolific this year due to a long drought. To date 14 litres have been pressure canned. Annotated pictures depict the process.

[GeorgeSalt]

That'll pucker your cheeks.. ..

[Durgan]

That'll pucker your cheeks.. ..

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Not really. These berries are very ripe.Elderberries are sour if not thoroughly ripe. The berries have to be almost falling off the substrate and very dark in colour, evidenced by some off the berries having fallen off the cluster. Picking when unripe the juice has an unpleasant taste.

[GeorgeSalt]

I usually make a cordial (syrup) with elderberries. I've never tasted any ripe enough to consider eating/drinking straight. Mid you, you're elderberries look different to those here. Ours have the entire berry stem turn a deep purple when the berry is ripe. A green stem (like your photos depict) would indicate an unripe cluster.

Today was the first harvest from my usualy elder foraging grounds, rustled up enough to start a batch of elderberry and blackberry wine later in the week (currently in the freezer to breakdown the cell walls). Last years elderberry wine was made from surplus cordial and is about ready for bottling.