While some elderberries can be eaten raw some cannot and most improved with processing. Photo by Green Deane
Sambuca’s Fine For Elderberry Wine
Start your New Year off right with a glass of elderberry wine or elderberry blossom champagne. Don’t have any? Well, next year then.
I started mine off right: I bottled six gallons of elderberry wine, six gallons of cherry wine, and a leftover gallon of apple wine this morning. Most of the wine, but not all of it, made it into the bottles… As it should be. After all, it is New Year’s, and I am cooking a goose with wild rice stuffing (mixed with chopped pecans and tangerines right off the tree.) Alas, bachelors dine alone but well. Back to elderberries… Incidentally, I am writing now about only black or deep purple elderberries. Read about red elderberries at the bottom of the page.
Elderberries are easy to like. They’re user-friendly. Jam, jelly, pies, syrup, schnapps, brandy and wine can be made from them. The flowers are also edible and can be used in pancakes and muffins or just dipped in batter and fried. They also make a nice tea or a refreshing “Elder Blow Champagne.” Elderflower water is also used in perfumes and sweets.
Many writers say raw elderberries have an unpleasant taste. The ones in my yard do not, but that can change from location to location, shrub to shrub. Most agree that they do need to be cooked if you are going to eat more than just a few out of hand. That’s because they have a small amount of cyanide producing glycosides, which are released upon digestion, but so do loquats.
Elderberry blossoms, from fritters to champagne
Professor Julia Morton, who was the first, middle and last word about poisonous plants in warm climates, especially Florida, says the fully ripe black berries are not toxic and you can eat as many as you like. She adds, though, that their flavor is moderated by drying. And in fact, I have a large jar of dried elderberries and sprinkle them on and in many things when cooking. Boiling or baking certainly takes care of any “toxic” issue as does drying raw berries. The Mikasukis Indians considered elderberries a scarcity food only. Incidentally, the elderberry bush sheds a lot of hollow stems that insects like to live in. Watch out for them on the plant and under your feet while picking elderberries. Oh, elderberries do not have thorns. If you think you have an elderberry and it has thorns you have a Hercules Club. Don’t eat those seeds.
As for my personal experience with black elderberries ….I don’t have a sweet tooth —which makes my Greek relatives wonder if I am adopted — but my favorite immediate use for elderberries is pies, though you have to add an acid like vinegar or lemon juice. The great thing about elderberry pie is it is seasonal and rare. You can’t buy one. It is not processed, edible non-food stuff we call food. It’s the real deal, and delicious with a texture similar to blackberry pie. If I have enough elderberries, I make wine. If in between, I make schnapps.
Green and partially ripe elderberries should not be eaten. Photo by Green Deane
I might add that Dr. Morton agrees with a 14th century European comment that young elderberry shoots may be cooked like asparagus and eaten. I haven’t eaten any elderberry shoots but I have plenty in my yard. About five years ago I went to a vacant wet lot and dug up a couple of young elderberry shrubs. They have grown into a clump of them in my yard. The odd thing is they don’t live too long, just two or three years each. But, they are always sending up shoots so the clump is slowly moving as new trees grow and old trees die off. The clump is migrating at about two feet a year to the north. There is a road in its path in about 10 years: Stand by for that update.
Elderberries are nutritious, are packed with antioxidants, and have more Vitamin C than oranges or tomatoes. They also have Vitamin A, calcium, thiamine, niacin, twice the calories of cranberries and three times the protein of blueberries. They put grapes to shame, and man is not the only consumer. Over four dozen kinds of birds like elderberries as well as the occasional rodent and butterfly. Bears really like them — ripe or unripe — and deer and moose will nibble on them.
The elderberry is in the honeysuckle family and have too many medicinal uses to mention here. They are one of the mainstays of herbalism and home remedies. Where ever it grows it has been the local pharmacy. Interestingly bruised leaves in water and soap (stirred some) is a good insecticide for plants you don’t eat. By the way, its botanical name is Sambucus canadensis (sam- BEW-kus kan-uh-DEN-sis).
Playing a “Sambyke”
Sambucus comes from the Greek word “sambuke”, a musical instrument believed to heal the spirit (In Europe Elderberry wood was used for making musical instruments.) Canadensis is from Canada, or northern North American. As for Elderberry recipes, there are hundreds if not thousands of them on the internet — books in fact — and you can look them up as need be but I will give you a hint: Freeze the cluster of berries, they will separate from their branches much easier and cleaner. And to not leave you totally recipeless, here is a concoction from the 1400s:
Take elderflowers and grind them in cow’s milk, add flour, heat until it thickens.
Seems they liked their recipes short back then. If you have just a few elderberries, a pound or so, try this,
Elderberry Schnapps:
(This presumes you have already rinsed and cleaned the elderberries of all stems. Remember the freezing hint.) Weigh the elderberries then put them in a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Whatever they weighed, cover then with half that weight in unflavored vodka, or more if necessary to cover. Tighten the lid. Let them seep in a dark place one to four weeks at room temperature, shaking now and then. Strain, discard the berries, and put the liquid in new, clean glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Age at least two months.
That is not unlike Loquat Grappa (see my Loquat article.) Now, if after all of this you are still with me a December 2006 study reported in the Journal of Medicinal Foods shows the elderberries in North America to have anti-cancer and antioxidant activity.
A friend surprised me one time by confusing in conversation the poisonous water hemlock with the elderberry. Since I know both plants well I never considered that they have a passing resemblance. One becomes a shrubby tree with berries, the other is a herb with a splotchy hollow stem. But, the leaves and umbrella-shaped flowers are similar to the new eye, especially young plants. While there are many differences the easiest one to remember involves the leaves. In the water hemlock the veins in the leaves run to a notch between the leaf’s teeth. The hemlock leaf is deeply serrated and the veins are very easy to see, and they run right to the bottom of a notch between two teeth. The elderberry has much finer serrations and veins in the leaves run towards the end of the leaf, or to a tooth tip, rarely to a notch. To read more about their differences click here.
Elderberry Wine
This is for one gallon of wine. For five increase ingredients except yeast.
Elderberry wine is medicinal of course
3 lbs ripe elderberries
2 lbs fine sugar
3 1/2 qts water
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp pectin enzyme
1 crushed Campden tablet
Montrachet wine yeast
Wash the elderberries and remove the stems while rejecting the unsuitable ones. Boil the water and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Put the berries in a nylon straining bag, tie it and place it in the first container. Mash the elderberries while wearing sterilized rubber gloves. Pour the boiling sugar water over them and cover. When this mixture has cooled to a lukewarm temperature, add the acid blend, crushed Campden tablet and yeast nutrient. Cover the primary container and wait for 12 hours. Stir in the pectin enzyme, cover the primary container once again and wait another 12 hours before adding the yeast. Stir daily for 14 days and gently squeeze the bag while wearing sterile gloves, re-covering the container each time. Drip drain the elderberries without squeezing and add this juice to the primary container. Rack the wine into a second container and fit an airlock. Store in a dark place and ferment for two months. Rack the wine again, top up and refit the airlock. Repeat this step two more times. Stabilize the wine and wait for 10 days. Rack the wine again, sweeten to taste and pour into bottles. Store the containers in a dark place for one year.
Red Elderberries
Red Elderberries, Sambucus racemosa
Some references say red elderberries are edible, some say they are not. Bradford Angier, a well-known Canada-based forager, said eating a lot of raw, whole, red elderberries gave him “digestive upsets.” Angier lived off the land for years at a time, so he is a man of practical information. Research does clarify this and says deseeded ripe, cooked red elderberries are edible. In Volume 30, Issue 6, of the June 2003 issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science, red elderberries are discussed. It says:
“In this article, we examine the use of red elderberry fruit at site 35-TI-1, a late Holocene village on the northern Oregon coast, where more than 68,000 seeds from this fruit have been recovered. Despite the fruit and its seeds being somewhat toxic, red elderberry was widely used both ethnographically and during earlier periods. Its ease of harvest, nutritional value compared to other fruits, and the need to remove its toxic seeds prior to consumption result in red elderberry being well represented in the region’s paleoethnobotanical record. Also, toxins in the seeds may inhibit their decomposition, allowing uncharred seeds to survive for several hundred years.”
Other researchers into “first people” diet also show they ate a lot of red elderberries — to the point of it being a staple —but removed the seeds. In another scholarly article for the Canadian Journal of Archaeology, vol. 28, 2004, pp. 254-280, it says:
Processing [red elder] berries follow[ed] operational steps including de-seeding, de-stemming, and mashing to a paste that was then eaten as a food, dried into cakes, or mixed with oil for storage (Grumet 1975: 299). Seeds of red elderberry have high levels of toxic cyanide producing glycosides and were removed after cooking or during consumption (Pojar and Mackinnon 1994: 70; Losey et al. 2003: 696, 701; Turner 1995: 14).
Three other authors say the Indians processed out the seeds before eating the cooked fruit, or spit the seeds out AND drank water to rinse the seeds out of their mouth AND drank more water than usual if they swallowed seeds. They also did not eat red elderberry “cakes” in the morning saying it created stomach ache. They waited until midday or later to eat them. And, if they ate non-ripe and or raw red elderberries they ate salmon afterwards, believing that prevented stomach aches. If this is all accurate, it suggests that ripe, cooked, seedless red elderberries are edible. The seeds contain cyanide-producing glycosides which in the gut change to hydrogen cyanide. This can cause upset stomach, diarrhea and vomiting. In large doses it can be lethal. You are on your own now, proceed with caution. Find a local expert through the Native Plant Society and ask about your local red elderberries.
Now, as if that is not enough know there is a “white” elderberry found in Australia. Its berries are white to yellow and unlike nearly all white berries they are edible. Botanically it is Sambucus (sam-BYOO-kus) gaudichaudiana (go-dih-shaw-dee-AY-nuh)
Oh….You can also make a pesticide from elderberry leaves. Boil half a quart of water and add about eight ounces of Elder leaves. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes. Take another half a quart of warm water and mix with one tablespoon of castile soap or what soap you may have handy. Combine the soap water and the elder water and strain through a fine mesh or cloth. Use in a sprayer. It helps with attack from aphids, carrot fly, peach tree borers, and cucumber beetles. It can also be used against mildew and blackspot disease
Green Deane’s “Itemized” Plant Profile
IDENTIFICATION: Shrub to small tree, woody stem, fIve lobed flowers in clusters, white, five stamen, leaves pinnately compound, five to nine, toothed, opposite. Berries round, 1/8 of an inch, glossy, black.
TIME OF YEAR: Can blossom and fruit throughout the year in Florida but favors the spring and early summer.
ENVIRONMENT: Roadsides, thickets, damp areas, low hammocks, marshes, canal banks.
METHOD OF PREPARATION: When fully ripe black fruit can be eaten raw or cooked but go light on the raw ones. Drying berries moderates their flavor. See the warning above on red berries.
Elderberry leaves can be put in hot water with soap (be stirred) and then used as an insectide on plants.
Folks have been using the dead and dried wood (removing the pith) for years for flutes, straws, and whistles. Unfortunately from what I have read children have used the green wood for the same reason resulting in cyanide poisoning. Can you elaborate on this, Deane? Thanks.
I have not had success with Elderberry as a friction wood so far. I know you and some folks use it for a firebow spindle. I guess I just have not found the right kind (density) of base board yet for it. We have no Basswood here further south of you. Is Basswood the only board wood you have had luck on?
I am curious about how to remove the seeds, perhaps the method indians used. I have allot of red elderberry around me here in Alaska…Rev.
If I remember correctly they crushed the fruit and the seeds floated. I would think a very fine mesh screen might make the process easier.
Are any additional cautions with the blue elderberries that grow in northern California?
Not that I know of. You might want to ask FeralKevin that as he is in your area.
It is so great to find these resources on the web — thanks for being so thorough. I am wondering though about Sambucus racemosa flowers. do you think since there are toxins in the seeds, foliage and stems that it ‘s unwise to eat the flowers. My mom ate the elderFlowers fried in batter and the syrup as a child in Europe, but we only have S. Racemosa
Cornucopia II has no reference to the blossoms at all. Let me research it.
I am very interested in the elderberry plant. I recently seen some plants along the side of a creek bed and it had black looking berries on it. They had a purple looking stem on them and when I put one between my fingers, I felt little tiny seeds in them and left a purplish red stain between my fingers. I am not sure if these are edible wild elderberries or not. I didnt see the white flowers on them which may have proceeded the berries. Is there a for sure way to find out for sure if these are elderberry bush or not? Thank you
Post a picture on the Green Deane Forum.
Sounds like poke to me. Especially with the staining. Elderberries grow as canes but poke usually grows as a small bush with bright reddish pink trunk or main stem and branches.
Be very careful about eating the berries near the water. They could be Water Hemlock which is highly poisonous. Check Google for some pictures and info. I’m not an expert but I know a few things about Elderberries. I hope this helps.
Does the Water Hemlock produce berries? I just picked a bunch of berries today and while looking for recipes I saw the warnings on the water hemlock.
I am 100% positive that one of the plants I picked from is a true elderberry as I saw it flower and its leaves in the spring. I must admit that as I walked deeper through the forest preserve this morning and picked berries, I didn’t check the other bushes leaves/branches along the path. I was just looking for the berries that looked like the elderberries how ripe they were and picked accordingly.
I thought that the Water Hemlock does not produce dark purple clusters of berries. Should I discard all the berries as I am not sure which ones are from which trees? Or since they all look the same and I know that I did identify one elderberry am I safe?
Any thoughts? I have small kiddos I was planning on making a syrup for this year. I could try to walk tomorrow morning and check the leaves around and make sure I don’t see any Water Hemlock. The trail I walk is near the river so it is damp ground or dry (depending on the rain fall), but not standing water.
Thanks!
Poison Hemlock produces seeds not fleshy fruit.
I don’t care what the expert that was quoted by this author said. Two weeks ago I ate a small handfull of raw blue elderberries on some ice cream (picked in utah) and had diahrea for about 4 hours really bad and had an upset stomach for several more hours after that. Prior to that we had some cooked in muffins with no ill effect. Don’t eat the seeds raw from the blue or black ones. I’ve made some juice since (cooked, mashed, and seeds strained out) and was fine although the taste of elderberries makes me a little naseaus now from my experience with them.
I read about them before eating them and the article I read did state don’t eat the raw seeds but I read it too fast and missed that part. It said the skin and pulp raw were fine in the last sentence but didn’t mention the seeds so I ate them and it wasn’t good.
It is wise not to eat too many raw elderberry fruit. Morton was the expert but has long since passed on. I have heard many reports of folks eating raw elderberries and have digestive issues. It is, however, a hot topic on foraging boards with at least one experienced herbalist saying warming about elderberries is rampant hysteria. Yet people do get ill eating a lot of them raw. Perhaps there is a tolerance or allergy issue at work. Personally I don’t care for their flavor raw so I always prepare them in some way… well… when teaching a class I will nibble a few raw for demostration and have no issue but I fall on the cooked side of the berries.
I made a syrup with the black elderberries. They were dried and I ground them in a blender before making a strong tea with them. The seeds were ground with the dried berries, and I know the red elderberry seeds are toxic and that raw black elderberry seeds can make people sick, but what do you think of this method? Is the syrup safe to consume? Thanks.
There usually is no problem with dried black/purple elderberries, seeds and all. It sounds like a nice syrup to use. Have you see Sunny Savage’s videos on making Elderberry Syrup on You Tube?
In my research into shrubs with high wildlife value I’ve found references to two different species of elderberry that produce red berries. One is commonly referred to as red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) and the other is red-berried elderberry or red-berried elder (Sambucus pubens). Sambucus pubens is toxic to humans. Sometimes Sambucus pubens is treated as a sub-species of Sambucus racemosa. In any case, be careful.
I have been making black elderberry wine for five years, frozen fruit works best, and fresh berryies for pies and other baked goods has had no effect on our digestion. We have been elderberry eaters for over 60 years and relish the arrival of the season.I have dug up several clumps from the local railroad right of way and planted next to a yard ditch for ease of picking whenever I get old. Healthy wine from them is a blessing
My grandfather made “Popguns” out of the main stem of the bush by cutting a section about a foot long. He then cut a dogwood branch with a straight section slightly longer than the “node of the elderberry bush” and used it to push out the pith. After removing the pith he would cut the dogwood plunger slightly shorter than the length of the elderberry tube. We would chew up some paper until it was a pulp and pack it into the tube and push it forward. The first charge would close off the distant end. The next charge would be inserted about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch and then using the dogwood plunger you would aim and quickly push the plunger in and the first charge would be propelled outward with a loud pop! Great fun for kids. Never had an issue of allergy with the wood. Here in NC the wood of the main stem can be quite thick, 1/4 inch or more.
A variation of this “Popgun” is to make a “Watergun”. The first charge is replaced with a short section (1/4-1/2inch) of Sourwood trimmed to tightly fit. The center pith of the Sourwood can be pushed out with a piece of wire about a 1/16 to 1/8 inch. This makes a small hole in the sourwood section. The dogwood plunger is modified. Shorten it so it does not push out the small section of sourwood. Make a couple of small shallow grooves around the end of the dogwood plunger. Wrap the end of the plunger with cloth about a half inch wide. Wrap it until the end makes a tight fit to the inside diameter of the elderberry section. Tie it in place with string. Wet the cloth end and insert in all the way into the elderberry body. Place the end into a container of water and slowly withdraw the plunger until the chamber is filled with water. Find an unsuspecting victim and fire away. Run away quickly to escape his/her wrath! Great fun!
I had never heard they were toxic. My grandfather had us eating them in the wild when we were kids and I always eat some if I come across them, with no ill effect. I am in the northeast, perhaps it is the species that grows here that is ok. I will be cautious now of showing them to my kids as an edible.
i been on the elderberry band wagon going on 2 years now. i keep a bottle of elderberry concentrate on hand ..i never run out..ready to atempt brewing my on again..
for 2 gallons of concontrate how many gallons of berries is needed?
I processed a LOT of elderberries (a couple of plastic grocery-bags full) through my steamer-juicer about 10 years ago. That worked well, and I still have the last quart of the juice I canned – use it for colds & flu. However, the berries/seeds? released a GLUE that made everything obnoxiously sticky and extremely difficult to clean. Has anyone else ever experienced this? … I’ve always eaten raw elderberries and don’t recall ever having digestive upsets from them, but I wouldn’t pig out on them as I could with raspberries or any other fruit. I’ve certainly eaten several racemes of them at a time, just nibbling them off the head and spitting out any stems. I never knew they were the least bit toxic, just thought they were totally edible. I have a neighbor now in upstate NY who has a massive clump of elder by his barn, and I want to ask his permission to harvest them, as well as dig some starts. I bought 5, but they were tiny and haven’t done well. I’m trying to grow them under black walnut, too, for a windbreak along the road, so that may be part of the problem.
I have found elderberry to be tolerant of black walnut, although if there is too much sahed that might be a problem. I have noticed sambuca likes sun
Becky,
Use olive oil to clean off the green “tar” works like a charm.
Eating raw elderberries by the cup full on my yogurt for years with no ill effects.
Are the flowers of both the red and black elderberries non-toxic and can you use either for drinks and such. Gf is romanian and wants to make a tea called suc de something ) out of the flowers.. with no fruit yet how do i tell which one is growing here? … Chicago
I personally have no idea about the ediblity, or lack thereof, of the flowers of the red elderberry, Sambucus racemosa. While the color of the berries are the easiest way to distinguish the S. racemosa from either S. nigra (the European species) or S. canadenses (the American species), there are other differences. Someone in a botany department at an area college, or an agricultural extension agent at a land-grant university, should be able to help you identify the shrub you are talking about.
S. racemosa, the species with red berries, is not native to Illinois, but they are sometimes planted as ornamental shrubs.
By the way, apparently some botanists are now considering the S. canadensis American native as a sub-species of S. nigra, the European one.
I made a mistake being new to the area and just eager to start on elderberries after having some jelly made by the Amish. I read on a website that when they hung upside down they were ready, so I eagerly went out and picked 4 lbs of red berries. They taste bitter and I’m wondering. Will they ripen, should I plant these seeds next to the pond? Did I just waste my time and fruit and now just need to wait for more? Thanks. Steven
We have elderberry bushes growing in a swampy area by the woods. Some stems are green and some are purple, though they all seem ripe. Are the green stemmed okay to eat? Actually, we want to juice them.
No, try not to eat green stems. A few little ones on seeds perhaps, but nothing of any size.
Uh oh. I’ve already picked red and green stemmed berries and put together. They come from the same bush. What’s the difference? If it’s a toxicity(?) issue, will cooking take care of it?
The “red” stem part bothers me. Do you have the right plant?
My suspect elderberry bush also has some purplish color to the stem.
Hi there,
Reading through this blog and found your post. Yesterday I realized there is a special tree in my yard. Thought it was an Elderberry. I was so excited. It seems now looking through photos on the net, I may actually have a Nannyberry.
Wondering if you have heard of this one. Could this be what you have found. These two are very similar.
Hello Deane,
I harvested some wild berries that I am pretty sure are elderberries but not positive. I plucked them one by one into a bowl yesterday off the spidery umble head. Some were a little too red and not black yet. My question is since there are some tiny pieces of branch still attached and some somewhat unripe ones in the ziplock bag in my fridge will this poison the rest of the plucked berries? Or can I just pick them out and use the ripe ones. Also should I boil them before making an extract. I did feel sickly after handling the plant yesterday.
Pick out the ripe ones. My friend Sunny Savage has some good videos on You Tube on how to prepare Elderbarries for various uses.
Can you pick elderberries that are dry on the plant. There is a whole tree by my house that has all dry elderberries on it
Ripe dry or dead dry?
are there white elderberries? I think I found some they look just like blue. doe you have pictures?
Unless you live in a particular part of Australia you do not have white elderberries.
we have white elderberries in Southern California
Are you sure?
Some elderberries in California have a pale blue bloom (a powdery substance that forms on the surface of many types of fruit) covering the berries. If this bloom is wiped away, the berry should look black underneath. They are safe to eat as long as they actually are black under the bloom, and not green. They should also feel soft and not taste sour.
I believe I have picked some white elderberries today, first time I have come across them while picking the black/purple kind. They look very much like tiny gooseberries and of a very pale green colour (quite sweet tasting). I have been searching the web to-night to try and find out more information as to whether these are ok to cook with and if they are normally found in Scotland.
I too have a white elderberry tree but can find no recipes thus far! V frustrating!
Do the different varieties have a different taste? I am familiar with the taste of Sambucus nigra. Growing up in Northern Germany my parents had a Black Elderberry shrub in their yard. Now I live int the Pacific Northwest and thought that Sambucus caerulaea might be a better choice for my yard. Does anybody know if the taste of Blue Elderberry is similar to Black Elderberry?
Sambucus nigra is the most edible variety and the only one I encounter in Southern England were im from. Alot of the American variety’s I understand have a level of toxicity, can you not plant a nigra in the states as this is what is used through out Europe for wines and jams and such.
The Blue Elderberry S. caerulea growing happily in the NW is very tasty and productive. I’ve eaten berries raw and in syrup and jam/ I think this is the largest of the species, easily growing to 35-40 feet, a small tree! I also find this species to be challenging to grow, unlike S racemosa, nigra and canadensis. Dryer, sunny spot for S caerulea. a Beautiful plant.
We have a variegated elderberry in our yard (pretty sure it is elderberry) that produces black berries. Would there be any reason to believe the berries aren’t edible?
Hi Sharon – There are serveral ‘ornamental’ varieties of the European elderberry, including one with variegated leaves – a beautiful shrub! Since there are many, many different species of shrubs with variegated leaves, you will still have to determine if your is really a Sambucus nigra. If it is, yes the berries are as edible as any other European aka black elderberry.
It would depend on the species. Do you know which one you used?
I have picked some brown elderberries, not quite ripe. Will they ripen after being picked. Can I put them in a bag with an apple to ripen them? Don’t want to waste this valuable commodity. My friend picked them for me. They are elderberries, I have identified the leaves and bark trunk, b …. Should I wait a few days to process? Will they ripen more as they sit?
As far as I know they will not ripen. Said another way I would not eat them.
should I be worried about the little white worms that seem to have moved to the side of the jar I have some fresh ones in. I wanted to make extract and cough syrup, how do I know if the berries are worth working with due to the worms?
Toss it out and start over and follow procedures to keep the little vermin from developing.
I planted an black elderberry bush 7 years ago and this year it is covered with berries. I picked 5 gallons of berries and wanted to juice them raw in my juicer and freeze them in ice-cube trays, (I do this with wheat-grass) and use it in my morning smoothie. is it safe to juice raw. I have been nibbling on the berries for years but never had a large harvest before.
At some amount the raw juice will make you nauseated. What that amount is varies.
I bought two different varieties of Elderberry plants recently. Our place is in central Florida and is quite swampy in several areas. Do these plants need full sun or do they do better as an understory plant? TIA.
Good question! I’m no expert, but S. nigra and S. canadensis both seem to grow along woodland edges, getting a few hours to maybe a half day of direct sun. Then again, in Florida the sunshine can be more intense, and the heat as well, so they may prefer open shade, or morning sun and afternoon shade. Make sure they don’t dry out, especially on hot days.
It would be helpful to hear what kind of situation Green Deane’s elderberry shrubs do well in, in his yard.
Ive picked blue in utah(sabucus cuerla sp?) and have a bush in my backyard that produces black ones (sambucus negra). Ive made syrup out of both and from memory they taste the same to me. I just made a quart last week from the home ones and am planning on picking wild ones in a couple of weeks.
From some reading of peoples experiences, and my own, I think the black are the least toxic with reports of eating raw with no problems. The blue ones made me really sick to my stomach for several hours and even months later when thinking about it ( it was that bad-from one handful on ice cream). Seems like the red ones are the most toxic.
For clarity, the blue elderberries native to the PNW region are Sambucus caerulea, though there are apprently several spellings or misspellings. The dark purple to black elderberry from Europe is Sambucus nigra.
As always, it is best to check with a local expert with long experience eating the plant in question. To further complicate things, individuals can have a reaction to a plant that many other find perfectly edible. Think of the recent proliferation of things like peanut and nut allergies, when these foods have been used by millions for thousands of years, (at least in the case of tree nuts; personally, I think of peanuts as hog feed).
I picked some yesterday and had severe diarrhea for 8 hours just from handling them with bare hands and mashing them down for juice. I had greenish tar-like glue on my hands. I made 2 gallons of juice and dumped it down the sink….not taking any chances! I live in Ontario, Canada and researched many websites, pictures and articles before picking them.
What color were your elderberries? Did you use just the berries or were there a lot of little green stems attached?
There were a few stems mixed in. The berries were very dark purple…almost black.
Those stems may have been the cause of your reaction, Debi. All parts of the plant except the flowers and berries are toxic. That said, as Green Deane often points out, some people are sensitive to things that are perfectly fine for others to eat.
Thanks RLM…I was afraid to try them this year just in case. Sad, because there are lots in this area.
My family and I picked a ton of wild elderberries today
They are for sure elderberries and they are beautiful
I made some jelly but neglected to pick out the maybe 15 or so berries that were green because I didn’t realize they were toxic
Is my jelly safe ? Or should I toss it and make a new batch after meticulously picking out any green berries and small stems ?
I am planning on making Elderberry Gin…. But can only get my hands on dried elderberry how much would this equate to if the recipe asks for ripe elderberries?
Use about a quarter of the weight, if one used a pound of raw elderberries use four ounces of dried.
Picked 20 gal bags of wild elderberries in northern utah. Makes great syrup! Might go get some more.
I am just now getting around to cleaning my dried elderberries and noticing a lot of brown/tan ones–are these alright to make syrup or tincture, or do I need to painstakingly winnow them? (the bushes are 2 that I planted and have harvested from and made syrup for 3 years )
Thanks for advise!
You should try to minimize non-ripe berries as much as possible.
I recently purchased dried organic elderberries and when i opened them realized they were mixed with small stems and plant parts. I use them to make syrup but i am concerned because of all the stems. There are too many to sort. Any feedback would be appreciated.
I can be a pain to remove all those little stems but I would try to get rid of the other plant parts.
there was so little info on red elders which grow EVERYWHERE in the lower mainland of british columbia, that i thought i’d give it a go… keeping in mind that the seeds are toxic (as are the ones in peaches), i made a jelly from the berries, making sure i just drained and didn’t press them… it was delicious – so good in fact, and the berries were so plentiful, that i made a few gallons of syrup – essentially jelly without the pectin, and i use a bit of it in some soda water – my favorite drink in the summer… my favorite spring drink is elder flower champagne made from the flowers… make sure the flowers are secure – that is, not falling off yet… i just followed the recipes on the internet… it actually takes like lychee, so you can imagine how wonderful it is as a champagne. and in case you’re wondering, i also picked a bunch of the flowers and spread them on metal baking trays in the freezer… the more contact they have with the metal the faster they freeze and keep their colour (not that it matters since they turn brown in the liquid after a day)… but that means i can whip up a batch any time i want – the flowers just fall off the stems… my fourth year doing it and since i’m writing this, i’ll leave you to your own conclusions as to it’s toxicity!
Hello, I live in Alberta and have lots of Sambucus racemosa (red-berried elder trees). I recently (late August) picked a bunch, squeezed the juice out of them and boiled the juice down. I read that you have made syrup and jellies and I was wondering if you would share your recipes with me. I can find lots of recipes for black elder but very little for red elders. Thank you.
Hey Deane,
I have a group of plants here in Maryland that I was thinking was elderberry but now I’m not so sure. It’s a tall woody shrub, about 10′ tall, opposite leaves about the shape of elderberrys, but with no serrations, with a longer leaf stem than what I’ve seen. The twig that I cut off has a thick white pith. The flowers look like picture perfect Elderberry flowers, except these have 4 petals each, and all of the Elderberries I’ve seen pictures of have 5.
Thanks for your help!
I have identified the plant as silky dogwood, Cornus amomum. Thanks 🙂
So after eating quite a few SAMBUCUS RACEMOSA , the red elderberry. My stomach was upset but not to the point of upchucking but I got extremely tired , I fell asleep into almost trance like effect for a couple hours . Upon waking felt very rejuvenated almost euphoric. Now I have eaten SAMBUCUS, the purple Elderberry before and enjoyed it . So I thought maybe the situation was from overwork. So the next day consumed what I believe to be about the same amount again . I know not bright , but hey . This time I got violently ill throwing up hard, I fell into this trance like sleep where I was almost paralyzed. I could here people calling me but I could not possible get up to respond. With a extreme heaviness in my chest, upon waking more then 3 hours had passed which felt like maybe 1. Once again I felt great totally rejuvenated. Watch out! But before eating them again I will definitely remove the seeds and prepare them and then go from there …. Cheers
It sounds like you not only failed to remove the seeds, but also did not cook the Sambucus racemosa berries?
Hi, I have a elderberry tree in my garden for 15 years now and only today I thought i would pick the last flower and make a tea – after reading this I have binned it as it is too dark to look at the veins in the leaves. But the tea receipe I have made I would like to know what you think of it – all from my garden or cupboard.
sprig of mint leaves
sprig of lemon balm leaves
sprig of tarragon leaves
30 fengureek seeds
30 coriander seeds
teaspoon ginger powder
half jar honey
large coffee pot of boiled water – stirred and covered
after 10 mins added grated lemon zest
It tastes quite nice. My intention was to add the elderberry flowers with the coriander as coriander (oil) is supposed to be very good for you.. I watched the video but realized no way would I be able to squeeze oil out of them so I chucked them in the tea .. Your views on the health benefits of this would be good and whether refridgerating it and drinking it all week would be good for some of the coriander magic to ooze out of it. Look forward to serious answers.
I like to make a blended tea not very different from your selections. In my case the core ingredient is ginkgo leaves (from a tree in the garden) but they don’t have much flavour. So I add:
– green cardamon pods (a few)
– whole cloves (2 or 3)
– fenugreek seeds (about a spoonful)
– grated ginger root (or powder if no fresh root handy)
– raspberry leaves (saved from my plants)
– ginkgo leaves (either whole dried ones busted up, or spoonful from batch of dried ones I ground up to reduce storage space)
Sometimes I also add Motherwort leaves. Since Leonuris cardiaca (a mint-family plant) is quite bitter, it would only be if I including this ingredient that I would use any honey. Being accustomed to tart fruits of many types , usually I don’t bother with sweetening. (I cheerfully eat black currants right off the bush, as well as haskap berries fresh, and use citrus pectin to make low-sugar preserves.)
So, I don’t really see the need for a lot of honey to be added to your list of ingredients. However, that is just a matter of personal taste.
I had a friend that past away some year back. God rest his soul he was truly a gifted man in many things. the thing is that he could make some of the finest elderberry wine this side the Mississippi in my belief but that is nether here nor there I guess. The thing is I have one of the last jugs of wine that he made about ten years ago just before he died and was wondering if it was still safe to drink?
Tasting will tell. If it tastes good, it is good. If it doesn’t it isn’t. Wine is fairly straight forward.
Green Deane,
I just came upon this article and comments and have a question for you.
Growing up outside of Hamburg, Germany, we were always given black elderberry syrup for colds and seasonal ailments, often as a hot drink. I now live just north of Anchorage, Alaska, and have a red elderberry bush growing in my backyard and all over the place around here. Can I make the same sort of syrup from the red elderberries by stripping off all green stuff and then boiling and straining the pulp as my grandmother used to do?
You read the portion of the article above regarding the red elderberry, which I assume is Sambucus racemosa? Like everything in life… you are at your own risk, however many resources do say that the fruit of this red elderberry, which is native to your region, is edible if the seeds are removed AND it is cooked.
As Deane says, it is always best to find local experts who have long experience successfully eating the plant or plant part(s) in question.
Or, if you have a yard, you could probably grow the European species, Sambucus nigra, and use those berries as people in Europe have for who knows how many thousands of years?
In regard to the worms, I have read somewhere online, that there is a bug that is infesting elderberries, grapes, and other fruit crops and it’s undetectable until you bite into the fruit or cut it open.
When I boil elderberries, there is a green gunk that sticks to the sides of the pan. Does anyone know what that is? It is a brilliant green. Has anyone just juiced the seeds and then boiled the juice to take care of the cyanide? It seems the easiest way. Sure would like to know what the green gunk is. I’ve made elderberry jam before with no problems but the sugar covers up the green gunk. This time I planned to boil the juice, freeze the juice, and make jam later.
Jolene, please see my other comments: I don’t know what this gunk or goo is, other than its characteristic of being like a varnish on surfaces. However, I have learned some ways to remove it at least from hard materials.
I have been freezing the whole berries, and then doing extraction and bottling during the winter. I don’t think sugar would cover up the gunk though it’s possible that might help to reduce its formation. I am not sure about that.
Elderberries can start to ferment on the bush so I figure that’s natural to the species. I’m not into winemaking and don’t usually buy alcohol on purpose, but made an exception when I noticed that it (in the form of a tablespoon of vodka per bottle) seems to prevent the green gunk from showing up in the bottled juice.
This green goo seems to form in response to alkalinity in the water, or gets worse if one tries to use soda as a cleaner. Possibly adding lemon juice might help to prevent this, but every year I had a problem trying to clean the jelly bag, and usually ended up throwing it out.
So I was really interested in the suggestion by one participant here to use olive oil as a cleaner.
Finally last fall by accident I discovered that alcohol would break the chemical bonds of this green goo. I actually used up part of a small bottle of vodka on the cleanup (resulting in being able to use that jelly bag again). So then I put a spoonful of vodka into each bottle of juice on the theory that it might prevent the green from occurring.
Even distilling the water doesn’t seem to remove all the alkalinity, and juice I’d bottled in past years seemed to have a little film of that green stuff floating on the surface, or quickly developed it if I added water.
Because I don’t know what the green sticky stuff is biochemically, I am a bit dubious about drinking it. So that was why I resorted to adding a little bit of vodka to the juice. This most recent batch stored very well and it tastes great while being too low in alcohol to get tipsy. And I haven’t seen it take on any green tinge either.
Having thrown together a bottle of chokecherry juice with bottled elderberry, I want to make that again. I plan to bottle this as a blend. While both fruits are ripening about the same time, the tiny tart cherries have pits which require a different method to remove. I wish I had a better and faster way to do that. I also want to remove the little seeds from elderberries more efficiently. It seems to me that too much of the pulp gets left behind in that jelly bag.
This week I discovered an easier way to remove green gunk. If I may mention a brand name, it was citrus pine-sol. This worked especially well when I boiled water with a large glug of the citrus pine-sol in my stock-pot, with cover on. I immersed (or to the extent possible) the utensils and measuring cup, funnel, etc. that I’d been using to extract and bottle this juice.
After a few minutes the goo softened up and I could wipe it off stainless steel, hardened glass, etc.
Then after emptying that (into toilet), I boiled a change of water with some soda and detergent to remove residue of the pine/citrus solvent, and also boiled again with clean water and rinsed.
I have not tried this with the jelly bag, which is apparently some kind of nylon. Not sure if nylon would absorb and re-release any of the solvent or its taste… So I just use potable alcohol to clean that.
I still added a tablespoon of vodka to each bottle because it seems to inhibit goo formation. When I mixed the juice with alkaline tap water, I noticed some flecks of the green stuff floating on top.
So if you want to dilute elder juice, I suggest distilled water.
In regard to the earlier frustration about too much pulp left behind, I adopted the advice of a nephew who was studying food sciences, and tried adding a bit of pectinase.
This resulted in clearer juice, and far less waste.
Small amounts of pectinase (enzyme) can be obtained cheaply at wine-making stores. A little vial of powder, with enough for several years of juice extracting, was less than two dollars (Cdn).
NB: Although pectinase is used commercially to extract juice for jelly, they apparently have a way to neutralize it. Theoretically, boiling should accomplish that. However I didn’t get a good “set” when I used the pectinase and subsequently made jelly, or at least not with citrus pectin which I like because it needs less sugar.
Based on also growing haskap or blue honeysuckle berry I was intrigued to read that they were in the same botanical family as sambucus or elderberry. The operative word turns out to be “were” — past tense. Because of now adding more chemical analysis, DNA and other forms of scrutiny not available in past centuries, some of the plant family trees are being re-drawn.
This is one of them. Although many websites still place elderberry within the Capriofolaceae (honeysuckle) family group, on a page just edited in 2015, Wikipedia now says that sambucus belongs in a new family group just recently drawn up, named Adoxaceae. However, both families are still in the same order, Dipsacales.
Probably this doesn’t matter in practical terms to most of us, but we should be aware that this scientific re-thinking is going on. Some other family groups have also been revised.
My problem is with the credibility of Wikipedia. If it said I was alive I would seek a second opinion.
Hi there. A friend just gave me a giant bucket full of possible elderberries. The leaves and stems seem to be elderberry but the berries are HUGE. I’m talking 10-12mm. They were harvested in CT. Could they really be elderberries? After reading the posts on this page I’m afraid to use them or touch them.
The size of berries seems directly related to the amount of moisture the bushes are able to take up. This year because of drought my berries are really small, or at least those that had ripened early are very small. Last year they were much larger because of rain at the right time. I didn’t measure them, but eyeballing them as to length (the berries are a bit longer than wide) that year they could have come close to that size.
Sambuca bushes growing in a swampy area may possibly be able to grow berries to one-cm size or even a bit more. (As a Canadian I ran off at this point to get my metric ruler out to check.)
These bushes really need quite a lot of water.
If the friend can verify what species these are, and if you compare them to photos of the plant from reputable nurseries and gardener sites, then you don’t need to worry, but just make sure to de-stem them thoroughly before using.
Andrea, those large “elderberries” could very well be Juneberries. They have a taste similar to blueberries, but milder. Had a few of them several years ago in my brother’s yard in Maine.
Hello Mr. Green Dean,
I am new to the elderberries. I recently picked my first batch of them at my friends patch. She used to make wine from them so I know I wasnt picki g somethng wrong or poisonous. My fear is the ripeness part. I stuck to the ones that appeared to be black or almost black. It was a complete pain! I would take the cluster and pull off all the ones I could see that were obviously not as perfect as the black ones. I know anyone would be hardpressed to find any green ones in the mix. I have to questions. If there are any in my batch that are not perfect, will cooking resolve this? My intent is to make syrup (Im not paying $15 for an 8oz bottle at the store anymore) and jelly. Also as hard as I try I cant get all the tiny pieces of stem out of them. I get out asmuch as I can and there are no large pieces at all. Again, will cooking resolve any toxicity?
As far as plant identification is concerned, I followed your photos and descriptions as well as others. I first picked from my friends patch so I gained familiarity with it and then I picked from one other location. I first checked the stems and bark and leaves. The berries were the biggest and most beautiful I had seen. I believe it was due to this other patch being a much younger shrub than my friends. I know I dont have hemlock or hercules club, which I dont think can even grow in S/E Wisconsin. Is there anything else I could possibly confuse elderberry with here? The berries tasted the same as the ones at my friends. I just have no expertise in this. I have been harvesting wild blackberries since I was a kid, so I dont even give those a thought.
Lastly, I am noticing a difference I types of elderberries here in S/E Wisconsin. I stuck with the ones that look black when ripe. I did not pick the other kind I noticed which are also on my friends property. They seem to have bigger seed heads and ripen to a purple color much like that of of red grapes. They dont get almost black like the ones I picked. I checked the stem, bark, and leaves and all appear the same as the black ones I picked. These also appear to be the more common variety here. Are these safe to eat? If necessary I will take a picture for you.
I also bag and label the berries as each location that I picked from. If I try the freezing method to strip them from their stems, can I refreeze for use or do I have to cook them right away?
Sorry for so many questions but I want the family and I to be safe! Is there an herbalist or naturalist in S/E wisconsin that you might refer me to? I would actually like to go in the fiels and learn some of this stuff!
Julie
Hello,
I have another question. Why do some of the elderberries have purple-ish stem/flower heads and some are green. I noticed that some have both within a cluster head. Is this just natural variation, or is this an indication of ripeness?
Julie
It’s a natural variation.
From an article I read last year the dark red/purple stem indicate the berries are ripe. Green stems or reddish green stems come from unripe berries and should be discarded. They ripen at different times, even on the same bunch. Good luck. I just made 2.5 pints of syrup.
My bush only has green stems, they never turn purple. The berries get very purple when ripe.
Why did my purple elderberry turn greenish brown when I heated them? I had black elderberry especially but on some clusters the berries were not quite as dark, but no green or I picked those off before they went into my pot. As I stirred I noticed GREEN and certainly that many green wet into the pot raw that color. What happened? I spent hours picking out stems and green berries making sure only black or purple made it into my pot. Do I have to throw this whole pot away?
Are you sure you collected elderberries?
To Andria,
I was hoping for an answer to your question also. I’m quite sure I picked elderberries, I’ve harvested many times before without problem.
I live in a Southern California national forest area. The berries are covered with a blue powdery blush, are soft and taste ripe. They appeared blue until I washed them, then they seemed to turn a greenish color.
I too spent hours separating berries from stems, etc and don’t want to throw out the berries if they are good. Except for the unappetizing color, they seem ripe.
But of course, if they are toxic, it definitely defeats the purpose of using them for health purposes.
Has anyone else had this problem? Or know of an information source for the berries in this area?
Thank-you
I have picked my elderberries and have tiny stem parts that I can’t get out and am discovering tiny white worms in the berries. Is it safe to cook down the berries and strain them for making jelly?
I haven’t worked with elderberries for many years as I find them very labor intensive. Since the ones that I used had bugs bigger than the berries it was taxing…lol The results were well worth the work. My main problem was hiding the jelly from my bro-in-law.
The ones I had grew wild in my in-laws’ Apple ranch in eastern WA. My grandmother taught me about red ones in Ohio. But, elderberry pie is next to heaven. Just be sure to use acid, lemon juice or ACV to bring out the wonderful flavor.
I have an unusual finding in the Ozarks (tall pine forest area) of what appeared to be elderberries and could easily be misidentified. They grew from roots straight up in the fashion of a thin lanky palm tree. They were anywhere from 14 ft tall to 25 ft tall, too tall for an elderberry and not bushy enough. They had spikes encircling the trunk and they could easily penetrate the skin if you weren’t careful. The leaflets are NOT toothed like the elderberry, but the vein patterns and everything else about the leaves match correctly. The pith is soft and malleable just like the elderberry. These were absolutely ruled out as being Phytolacca Americana or Cicuta. I’m not a newby, so it was unusual for me to be this perplexed by such a thing. The berries I broke open had 5 seeds like a lot of elderberries. They were in a very similar fashion high atop the single trunked shrubs, where it wasn’t obvious that they grew from the same root, making them appear as individual trees. Aralia Spinosa- Devil’s Walking Stick is what it was. I have never seen it in the wild before this. So, despite the many times of seeing it in pictures, I was stuck on identification for a while and I am moderately paranoid about positive identification after nibbling a toxic look-alike leaf very early in my foraging days. This tree wasn’t listed as an elderberry look-alike anywhere that I saw. Yet, there is no other plant that has berries that closer resemble the elderberry that I have ever come across. So, I thought you may want to address this. It isn’t a highly poisonous look-alike although it isn’t safe to consume a lot of the berries. The leaves are however edible and the plant is medicinal. If you already have this listed, I apologize for being repetitive.
Hi, I’m a late-comer to this Elderberry chat-room, so I hope this forum isn’t closed and that I can get a response from Green Deane. I live in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. I grew up in the Studio City hills, full of unspoiled vegetation, and never saw Elderberry trees there. Since 2005, when I became the owner of a very old, large, mostly unspoiled lot, (and 1915 house), on the cusp of North Hollywood and Arleta, I’ve become obsessed trying to identify the exact species of an old, wild, native Elderberry that is growing in my yard and my neighbor’s yard. I’ve seen similar Elderberry trees growing in other parts of the San Fernando Valley and in Griffith Park. They are medium-large trees and have the exact white flowers on green stems and pinnate, serrated leaves, five to nine in number, just like in so many pictures I’ve seen. The difference is, their early berries are medium-green and slightly translucent. I’ve observed my Elderberry tree for the last few years, thru the flowering and fruiting seasons, but I’ve never seen these berries change colour except when dead & shrivelling, when they beging to look like dark raisins. I have never seen birds eating the fresh green or shrivelled, dead, brown-raisin-form of the berries. I was hoping u could tell me what species of Elderberry this is and if the berries are toxic, even if seed-strained & cooked?
The indigenous elder tree of the western United States, Sambucus mexicana, can grow to 30 feet and produces small (1/4-inch), globular, nearly black berries that can be covered with a white bloom at maturity. The berries are juicy and edible when mature. The cooked berries are commonly eaten in pies and jams, and berry juice can be fermented into wine. The fresh leaves, flowers, bark, young buds, and roots contain a bitter alkaloid and also a glucoside that, under certain conditions, can produce hydrocyanic acid. The amount of acid produced is usually greatest in young leaves. There may be other toxic constituents in this plant. The root is probably the most poisonous and may be responsible for occasional pig deaths; cattle and sheep have died after eating leaves and young shoots.
Try your local Agricultural Extension office. Is it possible that the Australian variety of White Elderberry was brought to the area?
Hi – I have just moved into a home that has a tree with clumps of berries – that looked red, but now look a darker burgundy color. None of the neighbors seem to know what this tree is or if the berries are edible. I have done a lot of research on the internet to try to find out what it is. The closest I can find is the ederberry tree. Your article was the first I saw that mentioned red elderberries having seeds, and he berries on my tree have seeds. I am hoping this really is elderberry and edible, but I can’t find any pictures of a single berry cut open to show what it looks likek inside. I did taste one berry, (not the seed) and it had a slightly sweet taste. How do I make sure this is an edible berry?
Great article! I learned something new! And I already use elderberry often. I have a question though, I have recently started gathering blue elderberries from the wild. I know it is the correct plant because I bought a native elderberry to plant in my yard and watching it grow up I learned up close and personal how to identify them. I was surprised to find though, that the first batch of wild picked elderberries that I dried do not color water purple when steeped as a tea, nor do they let out any flavor. Not at all like the results I get from dried elderberries I buy in stores. Did I over dry them?
Perhaps I am asking too much of an already invaluable site, but dates on the articles would be nice.
Each one should have a publication date.
I don’t see a date anywhere except comments.
I wrote that article in 2011.
We’re interested in Sambucus racemosa, an elderberry native to the Northwest region of the country, as a potentially edible ornamental, as it is a beautiful plant. Like Sambucus nigra, several cultivars have been developed that are even more ornamental than the native species, with light green, finely divided leaves, similar to the laceleaf variety of the European elderberry, Sambucus nigra var. laciniata.
We also enjoy the beauty of the variagated S. nigra, and the cultivars with dark purple leaves, some which also have the laceleaf trait. If only as much effort was put into selecting and breeding the Sambucus for higher quality and quantity fruit production… but I suppose people will pay more for a striking ornamental shrub than one that produces a fruit only a few are familiar with, at least here in the States.
As ever – thank you for this wonderful website!
I have a beautiful elderberry tree in my yard. It’s blossoms are pink and the leaves are purplish green. The “native” growing white blooming trees here in Germany are used to make syrup from the flowers and also jams etc from the berries. I’m trying to figure out if my variety can be used for the same.
What recipe do you use for elder flower champagne?
It’s in the article.
Ok what about making wine from the red berries? Same instructions or do we gotta take the seeds out before.
And what about a red elderberry tea. Can I just throw the berries in as is?
Or does that water soak up this cyanide stuff… Man this is confusing lol
Hello,
Do you know of a good method to remove the seeds of the red Elderberry?
The natives crushed the berries in water letting the pulp and seeds separate.
I’ve found some umbrella-like berry clusters on small trees in upstate New York that I thought were elderberry, but only have one seed in each – any ideas what it might be? They are red initially, ripening to a dark purple/black…
I picked blueish elderberries color from woods. I live in central east Idaho. Could you explain a little about this color berries. They seem ripe. Juicy and soft. Any concerns?
Dr. Michael Greger tried to make a smoothie from the black berries and got poisoned. Do you think he ate some of the stems, or do you think there is cyanide in the seeds that can be released?
If you read my article on them. I think elderberries should be consumed raw only in small quantities, tasting actually. Beyond a few they should be processed (dried, cooked, made into jelly, syrup, wine…) I am not surprised the Greger got sick. He’s a fanatical vegetarian for whom I lost all respect for years ago. Any quality research on his part would have presented the fact you don’t eat many elderberries raw. That he does smoothies and would toss them in a smoothie further justifies my disdain for the doctor. I think smoothies are an affectation which in this case was not healthy. I eat my food. I do not beat it into a fibre-less juice. So I am not at all surprised that he did not do his homework, tossed raw elderberries into a smoothie, and drank them: Three things I do not do. I do my homework, I do not eat more than a few elderberries raw (five or six) and I do not drink my food.
The stems are so insanely high in the cyanide compounds you must be very very careful. Cherry pits have somewhere in the range of 40 mg, which is high, elderberry stems over 1000 mg per the same weight. Be very careful!
I just came across your informative website and youtube video. Thank you. I have a third or four year elderberry that produced an abundance this year. I have made elderberry syrup from it before. This year I have been caring for my mother and my husband who had major surgeries, as well as running my household, homeschooling, etc. I cut my elderberry bunches and placed them in a trash bag, then into the freezer. Today I decided to make syrup. We whacked the bag on the table and most of the berries came off. Unfortunately so did many of the tiny little stems that were holding the berries. I made a huge mistake by putting the partially frozen berries into a huge bowl with water in hopes the tiny stems would rise to the top. Unfortunately it made a huge clump of frozen berries and stems. I allowed it to thaw. Most of the huge stems did rise up as well as berries that were no good. Sadly so did some of the good berries and I tried to tediously pick them out but became tired of it after an hour or so. Also many of the tiny little stems were still down in with the good berries. I had way more tiny stems then I have ever had in the past with my elderberries that I boiled for my syrup. Will this make my family sick? I keep reading not to eat the stems, not to let them in with the berries as you cook it. I am worried. I would appreciate your feedback on it this will be an issue for my family or not. Thank you.
I forgot to mention this is the black berries.
Is their any danger of the black elder that I purchased at a nursery crosspollinating with the native red elder that are proliferating on our lot? I am concerned about the toxicity of the progeny.
Do you have any elderberry cuttings for sell or know anyone that have some for sell. Thank you, Tony Bland
I live in an area where there is an abundance of the red elderberries. They are just starting to flower. I like to make a lot of homemade medicines and concoctions and was wondering if the flowers of the red Elderberry possess the same healing qualities for colds, etc. as the flowers of the black or blue elderberries. I have searched specifically for that information on the internet and can’t seem to find it anywhere. Your article is the most informative I have seen so far but still doesn’t address my question. I would so appreciate it if someone could give me that information if they have it. The red Elderberry seem to be native to this area (Olympic Peninsula) and they are plentiful!
I once poisoned a friend by recommending dry elderberries added to her morning oatmeal. She had respiratory issues feeling she wasn’t getting sufficient oxygen as well as severe gastric distress.
Shows that drying or brief simmer isn’t sufficient to remove the glycosides. Make sure to fully cook.
<3 Love ya, Green. You've taught me a ton over the years.
My elderberry bush is at least 15 – 20 years old…. It meets all the other descriptions.
I live in Idaho close to Montana. I was in the mountains and along the road were clusters of treelike bushes with drupes of white coated berries I picked them and I identified as Blue Elderberries. Everything according to pictures shows them as Elderberries except a branch I accidentally picked has pinnate leaves on a small branch but the other has leaves approximately 1/4 inch apart. Is this an indication that these are NOT elderberries?