Elderberries about ripe......

Now most people no longer use the berries,but I do like to make jelly and wine from them.


Elderberry Wine:

5 lbs elderberries, stripped from their stems

1 gallon boiling water
3 lbs granulated sugar
1 wine yeast packet
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup orange juice

You can get fancy and use one of those wine makeing kits,but around here we just use a  old stonewear crock,think it is about 10 gallon and has been around longer than I have.

Place elderberries into your container.Add lemon and orange juices.Pour boiling water into container and stir.When cool, squeeze mixture to release juices. Let sit for 24 hours. Add 2 lbs sugar and the wine yeast packet. Stir and cover with a tea towel or chesse cloth. Let sit for 3 to 5 days.Strain the liquid into something then back in the crock and add remaining 1 lb of sugar. Stir.Let ferment in dark, warm location for about 1 week. Strain into another glass container and let sit for another 6 weeks. Pour into wine bottles and seal. Wine will be ready to drink in about 6 months.


Elderberry Jelly:

The Hard part is striping the berries from the stems,I have found that a plastic fork is just the right size,LOL and makes for less juice all over.Note:if you have a kid do this do not let them wear their good clothing.Granny tanned my butt for ruining my shirt way back when ;)

About 2 quarts of the berries,well washed.Place in a pot and cover with cold water.Simmer for 15 or 20 min..Then strain useing a jelly bag or one of those "Flour Sack"towels.You should come out with about 3.5 or 4 cups of juice.Most time I make my own pectin,and I'll cover how to do it sometime,but where I am now I don't have a crabapple tree.so just get some SURE-JELL.

3 1/2 c. elderberry juice

1/2 c. lemon juice
1 pkg. powdered pectin
5 1/2 c. sugar

Stir elderberry juice, lemon juice and pectin together. Bring to a rolling boil. Add sugar and return to full rolling boil. Boil exactly 1 minute!!. Remove from heat, skim the off foam and pour hot jelly into hot, sterilized half-pint jars. Place hot caps on jars and screw on bands finger-tight. Process in a water bath canner for 5 minutes.You should get 5 or 6 half pint jars out of one batch.


The Ferret