Elderberries – Done for 2024

One thing I didn’t expect when planting three or four elderberries in 2021 was that by 2024, I would have way too many plants. While they can be invasive and I’m sure they will be at some point, this year they were such heavy producers and, while I wouldn’t call them invasive, next year may be a different story.

The easiest way I’ve found to harvest and use them is to cut the whole stem and leave the berries attached, fill a grocery sack and stick the whole thing in the freezer. When I get 5 – 7 bags full of frozen b berries in the freezer, I take one bag at a time out, kind of “massage” the bag and that causes a good portion of the berries to become loose from the stem. Then, grab another bag and do the same. It’s important to work with the berries while they’re frozen solid or they will be crushed in the bag, then while rinsing them, the juice will be rinsed away. I rinse the berries, then put them in the steam juicer. You know what’s WEIRD?? I’ve had that steam juicer since 2010 and the price is exactly the same now as it was then!

I’ve been very successful juicing so many things:

• apples
• pears
• grapes
• blueberries
• blackberries
• cactus tunas
• rhubarb

Even though I’ve rinsed the elderberries, and they’re never “dirty” since they grow high up on branches, I pour the juice through 6 layers of cheesecloth. I made jelly, syrup for pancakes and biscuits, syrup for using with the Soda Stream but mostly I add a little lemon juice, pour the juice into quart jars and water bath can it.

During fall and winter, I’ll make elderberry syrup as needed. We take a spoonful or so of that every day to help keep us healthy and well. For so many years, I had to buy already made syrup. I first planted elderberries in Texas but they didn’t produce nearly as well there and it was a constant battle trying to keep the birds from eating every berry out there.

I have everything elderberry that I’ll need til we get next year’s crop and it’s nice to have all those berries done!