[ellied]

I picked a load of elderberries to make jam, which I've not done before.  I planned to add an apple or two and maybe some hawberries to half the batch just to start doing more with what is growing naturally.  But I got stuck pulling all the berries off using a fork, as loads of the wee bits of stem came away in the mix too small to pick them all out, plus a few crawlies, and I lost heart a little..

I wondered if I should have popped the whole lot in the freezer to start (would that make it easier to separate or more  likely to get the stem breakage)?  Or perhaps I'm just being too squeamish and should leave the bits (stemmy not insecty!) but I didn't think I'd actually eat or sell the jam if I made it that way so before the entire crop is gone to the birds, what did I need to do different?

Maybe I could have cooked it all up and put through muslin cloth to make cordial instead of jam, but I was flummoxed and gave up instead of thinking of alternatives and the hens will probably be laying purple eggs, well they aren't laying so perhaps purple poos on the doorstep 

[Louise Gaunt]

Can you cook the berries, strain off the juice and make jelly rather than jam?

[Bionic]

Yes, I would agree that jelly would work better. I thought making jelly was a lot of faffing about but having done it a couple of times this year I am a convert.
My blackberry and apple jelly is the most gorgeous colour and very clear.

[bloomer]

jelly sounds tasty!!!

[ellied]

Too late to do anything now, I chucked the berries out for the hens before they went off, but there are still a few on the bushes and I was looking to find out what I did wrong before I go picking any more..  I had picked loads, a carrier bag full, all wasted.. 

Also, I have one jar of elderberry jam given back by someone that came for a big bucket load of berries, and I'm looking at it wondering what's in it now!  I've still got some brambles in the freezer and I froze and used all the wild rasps, but these smaller ones, maybe it's my hands but they seem way too fiddly to cope with which is why I thought the fork would be useful to pull them off.. 

[in the hills]

We made hedgerow jam ..... elderberries,  haws ,  blackberries and apples. Daughter helped and it looked like there had been murder committed in the kitchen by the time we had finished. Used a fork but it was time consuming and had to pull out the little bits with our fingers.


Someone told me that it was easier and less messy if you froze the berries first.

[Ina]

I would always make jelly - then you only have to worry about the creepy-crawlies...

[Louise Gaunt]

But the creepies will be cooked and strained out, so just look on it as a bit extra protein!

[HesterF]

Or wine - just bottled my elderberry, believe I now have to wait 18 months or something. Also a jelly convert for a beautiful colour although we do use a lot less jelly than jam,

H

[ellied]

I've been vegetarian for 30+ years now so insect protein isn't something I can see as beneficial additive to the product sadly  and I don't have equipment for winemaking, let alone expertise.  I though having made plum jam, chutneys, lemon curd etc it would be ok but I hadn't taken into account the tiny berry size and my hands' inability hence using the fork..  Still, useful tip that someone has heard freezing helps, it had crossed my mind but I thought the sticky bits would break anyway..  will give it a go if there are any berries left, or try again next year.

Hedgerow jam is what I was looking for a recipe for, had seen one with elder, haw, rowan and crabapple somewhere but couldn't find it and the crabs and rowans are done now so was planning elder with an odd Bramley and a few haws or rosehips depending what I could find.  I'm really not that talented in the kitchen, just want to make a start and then mess up every time     Maybe I'll try elderflower cordial in spring, since I have the citric acid now - this year I had flowers but no CA, then  CA but no muslin, then muslin but the flowers had gone!  Now it's all there bar the flowers so if I wait I should be ready next time!