Can you freeze elderberries

Cornell University reminds us that "Uncooked berries have a dark purple juice and are astringent and inedible". Some Indians called this plant "the tree of music," since the smaller twigs and limbs made excellent flutes. Strips from larger limbs made arrow shafts. Flowers were used for external antiseptic washes.

Even animals appreciate the elderberry: deer and elk browse heavily on the leaves and twigs. Birds enjoy the berries. Wash the elderberries in a colander under cold running water, removing any mushy or spoiled berries.

Allow the water to drain off for a few minutes. Pack the berries into freezer containers, such as ziploc bags, then exclude as much air as you can Vacuum sealers work great then seal and freeze. This method works best when you plan to later use the berries in cooked dishes and pies. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before using. Pack the berries into freezer containers, such as ziploc bags, then cover them with the syrup. Exclude as much air as you can Vacuum sealers work great, after you freeze the bags first, then vacuum seal them in a frozen state then seal and freeze.

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Store the berries in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Sealing them with a vacuum sealer will help to prolong their freezer life even further. Frozen elderberries are generally good months, but may be good for as long as a year. This method is a great way to store elderberries and destem elderberries with minimal fuss! Dried elderberries are helpful to have on hand year round.

To dry the berries in a dry climate, you can use screens. Highly humidity climates may find they mold or ferment too easily this way.

To dry elderberries on a screen, spread the berries in a single layer over screens, stirring with a clean hand a couple times a day.

Depending on your climate and temperature in your house this could take several days to a week. You can start checking your berries after about 6 hours in the dehydrator and stir every so often, but ours usually takes overnight, or around 12 to 14 hours to completely dry.

Elderberries can be used fresh or dried. Cooking is said to reduce the toxins in the seeds and is what most herbalists seem to prefer, while those in the raw camp believe heat destroys the medicinal benefits.

Elderberry vinegar sounds like a strange thing to make, but you can use it to make among other things delicious honey-caramel candies!

You can also often use it in recipes that normally call for fruit or balsamic vinegar. So why not try making a jar, just to experiment with? Dried or fresh elderberries are poured to partially fill a glass mason or canning jar half-way with fresh elderberries, one-fourth way with dried berries , then apple-cider vinegar is used to top it up.

Cover with a plastic lid metal will rust! Elderberry vinegar is good for 3 or 4 months when kept in the refrigerator, or you can process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes for longer shelf life. Elderberries are destemmed and covered with water, and simmered for a short while, sometimes with a stick of cinnamon or a small slice of ginger. The fruit gets smashed gently around a bit with a fork to release the dark, rich juices, and after gentle heating, it goes through a strainer, the seeds and pulp discarded, and a mess of golden, sweet raw honey gets mixed in with the lot.

Elderberry syrup should be stored in the refrigerator for about a month. Find the full recipe at our other site, The Nerdy Farm Wife. If you are not using the berries right away, transfer the de-stemmed elderberries to freezer bags or containers; seal tightly and return them to the freezer. If you are working with a very large haul of elderberries, you may find that they start to thaw out quicker than you can de-stem them.

To avoid this, work in smaller batches, only taking a few of the still-on-the-stem elderberry clusters out of the freezer at a time. When you work with elderberries in a large quantity, it is also helpful to return the just-stemmed, still-frozen elderberries to the freezer quickly. If they have already thawed when you refreeze them, the result will be a big solid brick of fruit. If they are still frozen, the individual elderberries will stay loose in their containers or bags.

That makes it easier to take out just what you need when you are ready to use them in a recipe. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

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