The elderberry begins to bloom in our gardens from around the beginning of June. You can process the intensely fragrant cones into a fine syrup in the kitchen. In autumn, elderberries enrich the menu and provide many valuable vitamins and secondary plant substances.
How to process elderflowers and berries?
To process elderflowers and berries, you can make elderflower syrup using cones, sugar, lemons and water, or make elderberry juice from berries by boiling, draining and preserving.
Make elderflower syrup
This is indispensable in “Hugo”, a refreshing and very aromatic long drink.
Ingredients:
- 30 elderflower umbels
- 750 g sugar
- 2 organic lemons
- 2 liters of water
Preparation
- Do not wash umbels, but leave them spread out for a short time so that animal lodgers can escape.
- Then cut off the thick stems.
- Put the elderflowers with the washed, sliced lemons in a large container and fill with water.
- Cover and let sit in the fridge for two days.
- Drain through a sieve into a saucepan.
- Sprinkle in the sugar and heat while stirring.
- Fill hot into previously sterilized bottles and close immediately.
- Let cool upside down.
elderberry juice
Elderberries contain valuable trace elements such as iron and potassium as well as lots of vitamin C. Warmed elderberry juice is a tried and tested home remedy that provides relief from a cold.
Use only the fruits of the black elderberry, as those of the dwarf elderberry are poisonous. Only collect the berries yourself if you can identify them with certainty.
Win elderberry juice
- Wash elderberries thoroughly.
- Pluck from the stems and sort out unsightly fruits and the stems.
- Put in a pot. Pour enough water so that the bottom is well covered with liquid.
- Boil the elderberries for about five minutes. They must be well soft.
- Place a cheesecloth or muslin diaper in a colander, place over a large bowl and pour in the berries.
- Drain the liquid and squeeze the fruit well, for example with a ladle.
- Fill the obtained juice into previously sterilized bottles.
- Close and place on the rack of the canner.
- Pour in enough water so that at least half of the elderberry juice is in the liquid.
- Cook at 90 degrees for 30 minutes.
Prepared this way, the elderberry juice lasts three to six months.
If you wish, you can add 400 - 500 g of sugar to every two kilos of cleaned fruit. Boil the juice with the sugar and fill it boiling hot into previously sterilized bottles. Thanks to the addition of sugar, the elderberry juice can be kept for up to nine months.
Tip
You can make an aromatic jam from the juice obtained. It tastes very delicious if you use half elderberry and another fruit such as apple or pear for the jam.
