They are considered seasonal fruits with a subtle character. Although elderberries are slightly poisonous when raw, they transform into delicious foods and drinks when cooked. The following lines explain exactly how this works.
How do you cook elderberries properly?
To properly cook elderberries and remove the toxic sambunigrin, heat the fully ripened berries to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. They are then suitable for jams, compotes, syrups or elderberry juice.
The magic limit is 76.3 degrees Celsius
Elderberries contain toxic sambunigrin, which causes vomiting, diarrhea, cramps and stomach pain in children and sensitive adults. The fruits must therefore not be picked fresh from the tree and consumed raw. As soon as they are heated above 76.3 degrees Celsius, the toxic component dissolves and the elderberries serve as an excellent ingredient for delicious jam, fruity compote or refreshing syrup.
However, this does not apply if you cook unripe fruit. Only in fully ripe elderberries has the poison content naturally reduced to such an extent that heating dissolves the remaining sambunigrin. This circumstance only affects the berries of the black elderberry.
Elderberry juice – to drink neat or as a versatile base
Immediately after harvesting, comb the washed berries from the umbels with a fork and start preparing immediately, as they do not have a longer shelf life. Since elderberry juice is a particularly versatile variation, the following recipe is considered very efficient:
- Place a kilo of berries in a pot with 250 milliliters of water
- bring to the boil while stirring
- cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes
- then strain through a very fine sieve
- stir in 100 to 200 grams of sugar to taste
After the juice has been briefly boiled again, fill it into suitable bottles. Diluted with mineral water, elderberry juice makes a delicious drink. Alternatively, you can use the juice as a base for an elderberry jelly, for example. To do this, boil 1 liter of juice with 2 packs of preserving sugar and 2 sachets of citric acid for 5 minutes until bubbling. Finally, the jelly is poured into screw-top jars, which are left to cool upside down.
Tips & Tricks
The berries of the red elderberry are also suitable for preparing as syrup, jelly or jam. However, there is a serious difference to black elderberry. The seeds of the red fruits retain their toxic content even after cooking. They should be removed beforehand to avoid risking poisoning.
