THE DELIGHTFUL ELDERBERRY
(Page 2 of 4)
When you pick elderberries, snip the clusters just below
the fruit itself. Then separate the berries from the stems
in a cool and shady spot (or even seated comfortably before
the TV The individual morsels are small, as I've mentioned,
and the cleaning process takes quite a while. I've heard of
using a comb for this purpose but never acquired the knack
myself.
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All that work of sorting through your harvest will be
repaid many times over when you enjoy the tasty dishes you
can make with this free-for-the-gathering treat. Here are
some elderberry recipes from my kitchen:
ELDERBERRY JELLY
The most common use of elderberries is for jelly-making.
Their juice produces a clear, ruby-red jewel-like
delicacy with a sparkling flavor to match.
3 pounds elderberries
juice of 1 lemon
1 box fruit pectin
4 1/2 cups sugar
Heat the berries over a low fire until the juice starts to
flow and then simmer the fruit for 15 minutes. Strain the
liquid through a double layer of cheesecloth (easier if you
cook the fruit in the evening and let it drain overnight).
Mix the elderberry and lemon juices along with just enough
water to make three cups of fluid. Add the pectin, bring
the mixture to a boil and stir in the sugar. Bring the
jelly to a full boil again for one minute, pour it into
sterilized glasses and cover the jars with paraffin. (Does
anyone have a comparable recipe that uses honey instead of
white sugar? -MOTHER.)
SPICED ELDERBERRIES
10 cups ripe elderberries
5 cups sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup vinegar
Cook the berries about 20 minutes, until they're slightly
soft. (Stir very frequently while cooking.) Add the other
ingrdients and heat the mixture until it has barely
thickened. (Test the consistency by dripping some of the
solution from a spoon ... the juice should divide into
drops instead of flowing off in a stream.) When that stage
is reached, pour the fruit into hot, sterilized jars and
seal the tops.
CANNED ELDERBERRIES
