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Author Topic: Hoards of elderberries!  (Read 5157 times)

Mel

  • Guest
Hoards of elderberries!
« on: August 12, 2011, 10:22:02 pm »
Evening :)

I have so many elderberries around the paddock and though I am somewhat tee total,I would not mind having a go at making some wine or-what advice do you have Please?!

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2011, 10:52:06 pm »
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

MikeM

  • Joined Jul 2011
  • NW Devon
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2011, 07:51:54 am »
ditto the above. The best country wine I've ever made was that elderberry one. The only downside is that stripping all the berries off the stalk is a real pain (unless someone knows a magic trick)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2011, 10:42:28 am »
ditto the above. The best country wine I've ever made was that elderberry one. The only downside is that stripping all the berries off the stalk is a real pain (unless someone knows a magic trick)

I do know a magic trick!  Use a fork!

Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

MikeM

  • Joined Jul 2011
  • NW Devon
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2011, 11:47:58 am »
I do use a fork and still find it a pain (mostly in the back). being tall, I find most worktops too low for me and being bent over destalking elderberries is tough on me.  :'(

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #5 on: August 14, 2011, 12:28:50 am »
I do use a fork and still find it a pain (mostly in the back). being tall, I find most worktops too low for me and being bent over destalking elderberries is tough on me.  :'(

I can understand that.  Would it be any more comfortable sat down forking into a bucket held between your knees?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

suziequeue

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Llanidloes; Powys
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2011, 07:43:45 am »
I do use a fork and still find it a pain (mostly in the back). being tall, I find most worktops too low for me and being bent over destalking elderberries is tough on me.  :'(

I can understand that.  Would it be any more comfortable sat down forking into a bucket held between your knees?

Watching something rubbishy and indulgent on the telly......

I find that's the only way I can get through the ironing!!  :)
We do the best we can with the information we have

When we know better we do better

Norfolk Newby

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • West Norfolk, UK
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2011, 09:01:52 am »
I cut down the bunches of berries with scissors or secateurs and strip them off later at home. I've got a sort of dustpan with teeth that does the stripping and it collects the berries but I wouldn't do the stripping directly off the tree.

The dustpan gadget came from a local seed merchants and it works with blackcurrants and similar fruit.

Regarding the fruit, I put a cupfull in a bottle of vodka. After a week you have a cordial which is rather like port or a rich red wine. I drain off the cordial and rinse the berries with a little water to recover as much as possible. It still needs diluting but you have the choice of water or something like apple juice added just before drinking.
Novice - growing fruit, trees and weeds

MikeM

  • Joined Jul 2011
  • NW Devon
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2011, 09:23:10 am »
I do use a fork and still find it a pain (mostly in the back). being tall, I find most worktops too low for me and being bent over destalking elderberries is tough on me.  :'(

I can understand that.  Would it be any more comfortable sat down forking into a bucket held between your knees?

this year will be our 1st year in a kitchen big enough to do that (our previous house was a glorified rabbit hutch) so I will doing just that. I like the sound of that gadget norfolk newby has, will keep an eye out for that.

Skirza

  • Joined Mar 2011
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #9 on: August 15, 2011, 08:22:03 am »
I always freeze my elderberries, makes stripping them sooo simple and the wine is lovely

ellisr

  • Joined Sep 2009
  • Wales
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #10 on: August 15, 2011, 04:16:30 pm »
I've just froze 3 boxes full yesterday so that I can use them when I have a bit more time in the house

Sylvia

  • Joined Aug 2009
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #11 on: September 07, 2011, 12:34:29 pm »
Elderberry chutney,if kept for a couple of years is delicious. I will post the recipe if you like.

Fronhaul

  • Joined Jun 2011
    • Fronhaul Farm
Re: Hoards of elderberries!
« Reply #12 on: September 16, 2011, 11:56:36 am »
Would love the chutney recipe please.  And if anyone has any experience of making elderberry syrup would be interested to hear about it.  Not quite TT but I seem to have reached the stage where alcohol isn't worth the effort.

 

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