Elderberry's

[qahtan]

 Seeing as so many elderberry's grow wild in UK, do any of you use them.
Just curious.
There are not so many growing wild here in southern Ontario
We bought an elderberry bush/tree what ever it is called a few years ago, and have had a good harvest most years, I do like the elderflower but some how never get round to picking them, but the berry's make wonderful jelly... qahtan

[qahtan]

[manicscousers]

we're having a go at elderberry cordial this year, already made some elderflower cordial in spring  ;D

[qahtan]

lovely, how did you do your elderflower. BTW elderflowers are great added to strawberry jam.        yum

[manicscousers]

did the search on here and came up with this one  ;D
Here's a lovely recipe for Elderflower Cordial.

2lbs sugar
1 lge lemon
1pt boiling water
1oz citric acid
10 elderflower heads

Pour boiling water onto sugar & stir till dissolved.  Add citric acid & stir.  Add zest of lemon & lemon slices.  Dunk elderflower heads in mixture & leave overnight covered. Strain through muslin or nylon sieve and bottle.  Dilute with sparkling water, or lemonade if you want it sweeter.
also found one with oranges in, elderflower presse.got 8 litres in the freezer
elderflowers are great added to strawberry jam.
and in gooseberry jelly  ;D

[qahtan]

Thanks, I have taken a copy of that ready for near year.. qahtan

[Sparkly]

I have made elderflower cordial, but it wasn't very good! It tasted too much like sugar syrrup flavoured with elderflower, rather than something you could drink!

I quite fancy making jelly though!

[woodypecks]

............. ooh! Qahtan !  I would love your jelly recipe please  !   Debbie   :)

[qahtan]

 I  extracted the juice with-my MEHU MAIJA,  but you could just heat the berries in just a splash of water in the bottom of your pan, then hang them in a jelly bag, then made the juice up with  Sure Jel, It's a pectin setting agent that we can buy over here, but I am sure any brand of setting pectin would do a good job.
 qahtan

[GrannieAnnie]

I've made elderberry wine but found it tastes best mixed into Concord grape wine after both have fermented separately.

[gwynleg]

Hugh Fernley-w has a recipe for pontack sauce with elderberries - I have frozen mine so I can do sauce later as it needs lots of them. Cant tell you what its like but its meant to be for savoury not sweet

[twave]

I posted this recipe for Orange and Elderflower jelly a while ago. If you have elderflower syrup or cordial its dead easy to make. If you're using cordial instead of syrup you may want to add more sugar to taste. It's the pudding type of jelly, not the spreading type!

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,53184.0.html

I have elderflower wine brewing at the moment but it's my first attempt at wine making so not sure what it'll be like  :-X

[woodypecks]

Hi again Qahtan ! It is beautiful looking jelly  !    How much sugar please  ? I definately will be making your lovely Elderberry Jelly and will put your name on it .  :) Debs

[qahtan]

I just made another batch of elderberry jelly, the recipe I sort of make it up as I go along.
today we juiced the berry's,  6 cups juice. to that I added 5 cups sugar, and 2 pouches  setting jel.
I usually do a double whammy of setting jel as I hate thin floppy jelly/jam, I like it to sit on top of the bread /scone/whatever. qahtan

[Flighty]

Qahtan I also don't like runny jams, I want the dollop I spread on my bread, roll or scone to stay put!

My own favourite flavour is raspberry, which is homemade and bought from my horticultural society with the money going to charity!

[grawrc]

My favourite is elderflower wine/ sparkling wine which is quite delicious.

[qahtan]

 yea, elderflower wine,  gorgeous..... qahtan

[Larkshall]

yea, elderflower wine,  gorgeous..... qahtan

My father made "fortified" elderberry wine. Add brandy to it.

My 21st birthday party (oh, what a long time ago) was held in the theatre next to the hospital. We had 20 bottles of elderberry and 20 bottles of parsnip wine for 100 guests. Hangover parade next morning at the hospital, led by the Chief Medical Officer (an Eighth Army Veteran).

[qahtan]

Reminds me of many years ago when I was still living in London, my mum came home from shopping one day and found my dad really pickled, she was mad with him, he said he had only had a tumbler full of that parsnip stuff in the cupboard.. ;-)))

And he was a hardened drinker, 21 year Coldstream Guards man.;-))))
                qahtan

[PlymouthMaid]

I have my first ever batch of elderberry and blackberry wine fermenting. I tried elderflower champagne but found it vile although I think maybe it lost all its bubbles as I used plastic milk bottles which didnt seal tightly enough.