Does anyone have a recipe for canning elderberry jelly or jam? Do the berries themselves contribute much flavor, or are they mostly for the color and need lots of sugar to taste good? They don't taste very exciting fresh, but maybe this changes when they are cooked?

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), August 25, 2000

Answers

I just made elderberry jelly. I do not recommend elderberries for Jam. I put the destemmed the berries and put them in a large pan. Then I crushed them a little with a potato masher. Then I covered them with water and simmered on the stove for a while, then ran them through a jelly bag. I then followed the directions for elderberry jelly in the MCP pectin box. They are not as strong a flavor of berry as say a strawberry, but in jelly they have a fine flavor that is a little more subtle that other fruits. My kids all say they like it too. In syrup form it would be wonderful on vanilla Ice cream.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), August 25, 2000.

Mix elderberries with concord grapes for better flavor. There are two other elderberry threads in the older questions.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1f@yahoo.com), August 25, 2000.

3 lbs. elderberries, large stems removed, juice from 1 lemon, 1 box sure-jell, 4 cups sugar. Crush berries in large saucepan, simmer gently for 15 minutes. Place in jelly bag and squeeze all juice out. Return juice to pan,adding lemon juice.Addsure-jell and mix well. Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute, stiiring constantly. Add sugar allat once,bring to hard boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour at once into sterilized jars. Leave 1/2 in.headspace,pour 1/4 in.melted paraffin on top, seal. ***This is from one of my old weed cookbooks (smile). Here in NE Kansas the elderberries aren't quite ready; but I should be trying this recipe soon too. Sounds easy to attempt. Good luck! Beth

-- Beth Weber (talmidim88@hotmail.com), August 25, 2000.

I have made jelly with apple juice(from the left over apple peels when making dry apple slices)

I also have a collection of jelly recipes and have not tried these but plan to try a couple this year-

elderberry with canned peaches

elderberry with sumac jelly-boil 1 pint sumac berries with 3 pints water untile 1 quart juice. Boil 1 qut elderberries in 3 pts water until soft. Mash, strain add 1c sugar for each 1 cup of juice cook til jelly stage.

GL Tami in WI

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), August 29, 2000.

my old ma always made elderberry jelly, good for the cough's and colds of the winter as it is so full of vitamin c, anyway I have always picked any amount of berries de stalked them and thrown them all into a huge pan and simmered them until the juice has flowed from the berries then after I have strained the juice I simply add a pound of sugar to a pint of juice and boil up until the jelly produces ripples in a the surface when ladled onto a test plate, I then bottle this off into sterlised jars and hey presto I have an excellent spread for breads and also a wonderful spoonful of jelly in a mug of hot water makes a delightful drink.

-- vicky downie (vickydownie@hotmail.com), September 17, 2001.