* Here's part of the elderberry entry I am working on for my book. I decided to make elderberry ketchup instead of jelly with the berries we recently found on the San Marcos River -- see recipe below.
Elderberry, Sambucus canadensis
Sprinkle the flower petals over
any dish or extract the berry juices and make anything from jelly
to wine.
If there was an elder among all the
wild berries, this one earns the distinction. References to elderberry appear
numerous times in early cookbooks and medicinal texts, highlighting its ability
to nourish and heal. Today, the elderberry is still respected as a powerful
medicine, used in defense of everything from a minor cough to the flu, and an
essential ingredient in some of the best country wines.
Elderberry plants re-sprout from
perennial roots each spring and can grow at least 5 or 6 feet tall. Their white
flowers are called umbels and blossom at the top of long, woody stalks. The
tiny white flowers eventually become small, purplish-black ripe berries whose
heaviness often causes the umbels to droop over. Elderberries are most common
in the Central and Eastern part of the state though they can be found growing
in areas that are moist and fertile anywhere, such as ditches and riparian
zones or in wetlands.
The twigs, stems and leaves of the
elderberry are toxic, but the incredibly fragrant blossoms (available in
mid-spring) can be eaten fresh by gently brushing the tiny, white petals into a
container for your salads. They are also the main ingredient in elderflower
cordial and elderflower wine. Beware: Elderberry blossoms are similar in
appearance to poison hemlock flowers – always be sure you know what you are
harvesting!
If you do decide to harvest the
flowers in the spring, be sure to leave the umbrella-like flowering head
attached so the plant can proceed with the production of the much-coveted
berries (there are species that produce blue or black fruits though the
black-fruited Sambucus Canadensis is
most common in Texas.) Picking individual berries one by one is time consuming
– it’s easier to snip off the berry bunches all at once and de-stem them later.
When the berries are at peak ripeness, they will easily detach from their stems
though freezing the clusters first, then rubbing the frozen solid berries off
the stems works really well. Eating raw elderberries has been known to cause
some belly aches and they’re not very tasty anyway. It’s best to release their
flavor by pouring hot water over them first and extracting their juices for use in jellies,
pies, sauces, dressings, wines and other fruit-based dishes. To extract their
juices, heat water to just before boiling (around 190ยบ is good) and barely cover the berries in a bowl or pan. Let them steep for at least 15 minutes then mash them and strain the juice through several
layers of cheesecloth or a jelly bag.
Elderberry blossoms should be
processed or eaten right away. The fruits can be frozen for up to a year and
then cooked to make juice though it might be easier and less space-intensive to
juice them right after harvest and freeze the juice. Berries will only keep 2
to 3 days fresh in the refrigerator. They can be frozen for up to a year.
Elderberry Ketchup
The idea of harvesting and using
wild elderberries in cooking has deep, historical roots. In her 1888 book
titled Family Living on $500 a year: A
Daily Reference Book for Young and Inexperienced Housewives, Juliet
Corson makes the thrifty suggestion to use elderberries and spices to make
ketchup. This recipe is designed to make a small batch of elderberry ketchup
but once you’ve discovered the perfect blend of sugar and spice to suit your
tastes, you can make larger batches for canning. Jars of elderberry ketchup
make unique gifts for the holidays.
4 c elderberries
1 small onion, chopped
½ c distilled white vinegar
½ c sugar
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. salt
Wash the elderberries and remove
the stems. Heat onion and vinegar in a saucepan until boiling,
then simmer for 15-25 minutes or until the onions are tender. Remove from heat
and add the berries. Let the mixture steep for 15 minutes. Mash the berry mixture gently with a potato masher. Press through a sieve.
(note: A cone ricer or cone sieve works really well when attempting to extract
fruit pulp.) Put fruit pulp back into a clean saucepan and add sugar and other
spices. Simmer until it thickens, stirring constantly so that it doesn’t stick
to the pot. Serve fresh or fill sterilized jars, place caps on the jars and
process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
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