Tony F Dordogne Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 Hi FolksThere seems to be a preponderance of FREE elderberries in our area atm - nobody local seems to use them. Know that they can be used in jellies, jams, crumbles etc - anybody got any other ideas? Also found a recipe for elderberry port that looks a bit whizzy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wozza Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 TonyWe also have loads near us, and were looking at Elderberry wine recipes.We shocked the neighbours by producing an old bottle of wine we made from strawberries earlier this year, so not sure if he has recovered enough yet to try elderberry wine! I,m also not sure where to buy yeast over here.Warren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony F Dordogne Posted August 27, 2006 Author Share Posted August 27, 2006 Went off round the local hedgerows yesterday and found LOADS of elderberries, plus a couple of old crab-type apple trees and some wonderful juniper berries.As a townie with a passion of things environmental (I used to be the London wide environmetal funding officer post-GLC) and having worked with organisations like Common Ground, it's always been something that interested me to see whether you CAN get food from the hedgerows.So apple and elderberry jelly I think .........Dried juniper berries, great to use with braised duck ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 Are these the berries that grow by the side of the road, on plants about 4 ft high? Last year I took these for elderberries and picked masses to follow a recipe I had for Elderberry jelly. After many hours, much stirring and loads of sugar, I ended up with a staggeringly disgusting liquid that was really bitter and nowhere near edible! I have made the jelly from berries in the UK, but they were from a large elderberry tree which had really fragrant flowers. Maybe the roadside plants are not for cooking? I do remember the tree's berries always fell to the floor when ripe and the roadside ones here don't, plus the local bird population seems to leave them well alone - maybe I should have taken this as a hint! Please prove me wrong as I would love to make use of them too - we have loads freely available.Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Roy Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 [quote user="Wozza"]TonyWe also have loads near us, and were looking at Elderberry wine recipes.We shocked the neighbours by producing an old bottle of wine we made from strawberries earlier this year, so not sure if he has recovered enough yet to try elderberry wine! I,m also not sure where to buy yeast over here.Warren[/quote]You can buy fresh yeast in the boulangerie part of the supermarket, or dried yeast in the cake decoration/glace cherries etc section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony F Dordogne Posted August 28, 2006 Author Share Posted August 28, 2006 At the moment there are three lots of seeds/berries around here.Elderberries are in clusters, like small blackcurrants, bits holding them are redish. But there are several laurel trees whichare laden with black berries (look like small damsons or cherries) and sloes (blackthorn (I think)) berries.I'll let you know how my attempts at using them for jelly turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Yes, it was the clusters with redish stalks I picked so beware - do a small batch of whatever you want to make first as a test - I'd love to hear how you get on! Re blackthorn, I have just started off a batch of sloe gin. I have always read that it's best to leave the sloes until the first frost as that takes some of the bitterness, but I have followed a recipe that says you can just pick now, put the fruit in the freezer for 2 days, and proceed from there - useful if you are impatient like me! Hopefully I will have more success with that...Good luck, Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bee Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Warning - laurel berries are very poisonous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony F Dordogne Posted August 28, 2006 Author Share Posted August 28, 2006 Understand that bee, wasn't suggesting eating or using them, just they are around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Roy Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Whew! I thought for a moment you were going to try using the laurel berries Tony[:-))] I made some lovely sloe and apple jelly a couple of years ago - the colour is beautiful, like a dark amythist (?spelling) and tastes great, a little bit like bramble jelly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bee Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 It wasn't just me then, who thought Tony was in mortal danger!Sloe and apple sounds good, what sort of proportions of each? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Roy Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 I'm sorry, Bee, I have just looked at all my cookery books but can't find a recipe. I think I must have got it off the internet through searching, and can't remember the proportions but I would think an apple and blackberry recipe would work wouldn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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