VegBox Recipes

Elderberries

Elderberries are a familiar late summer sight in British hedgerows.

They're easy to spot, with their distinctive purple-black fruit hanging from the heavily-laden branches.

For centuries, they have been used to make wine and syrups.

If you're picking your own, make sure you read the safety notes in how to choose elderberries (below).

Buy?: It's really important only to pick ripe (purple-black) elderberries. You can tell they're ripe because the fruits will be hanging downwards and plump, rather than being above the branch and hard.

Avoid green and green-purple berries as these are unripe and contain traces of cyanide, which can cause vomiting and diarrohea... In some sensitive people, even ripe fruit will do this. However, cooking removes this problem.

Pick the berries on their twig. Leave the job of taking the berries off the stalks until you're home.
Store?: Use elderberries the day you pick them, to enjoy them at their freshest.
Cook?: Wash the berries thoroughly by soaking in a large bowl of cold water. The debris will float and can be skimmed off.

Most recipes call for the berries to be removed from the stalks. This can be done gently with your fingers or by pulling the stalks through a dinner fork.

Don't eat the berries raw as they can cause nausea for some people. The odd one or two, to check the flavour of a bush, is probably fine. Any more than that could be asking for problems...

One of the simplest recipes is elderberry syrup. Or you could try jelly, wine or even ice cream.

More Elderberries Information

In the past, it has been a plant of myth and superstitions. In the Middle Ages it was believed to be the tree of witches and that cutting a branch off would unleash their wrath. Old folklore tells that lightening never strikes elder trees, so they're safe to stand under during a storm.

We don't recommend you worry too much about these!

Elderberries have been eaten for thousands of years - and rightly so. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, as well as vitamins A & B.

They are best used cooked, as the traces of cyanide in raw and under-ripe berries can cause vomiting...

Elderberry & Almond Pie
Elderberry and almond pie is a combination I would never have dreamed of. So I'd like to thank an anonymous friend in our village for sharing her family recipe with us.
Ingredients Serves 8 in an 8 inch pie / flan tin ½ pack frozen pastry (either shortcrust or puff) or 1 pie's worth of shortcrust pastry, if you prefer to make your own 20 sprigs of elderberries up to 200g sugar - see note on point 2, below 200g ground almonds
Method Roll the pastry out into two rounds - one large enough to form the base of the pie, the other for the lid Make the syrup: Wash the elderberries thoroughly Go through them carefully to remove any under-ripe berries Gently pull the berries off the stalks, either by rubbing along the stalk with your fingers or using a dinner fork Put the berries in a pan with 2 tbsp water and half the sugar Simmer gently for 10 minutes and taste to test the sweetness. Add more sugar if you need to When the berries are soft (about 20 minutes) and the juice has thickened, the syrup is ready Push through a sieve to remove the pips Line the pie dish / flan tin with the larger circle of pastry. Push down well. Fill with the ground almonds. Pour the sieved syrup on top. There's no need to mix - this will happen during cooking. Use a pastry brush and brush water onto the rim of the pie base, before securely pressing the pastry lid in place. Make a small hole in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. If you want a browned top to your pie, brush the top with a little beated egg. Bake at 180 deg C for 35-45 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and the top is brown. Serve warm with fresh yoghurt or cream.
Cupboard-To-Table 1 hour

Suggested Elderberry Recipes

Elderberry & Almond Pie: Elderberry and almond pie is a combination I would never have dreamed of. So I'd like to thank an anonymous friend in our village for sharing her family recipe with us.
Elderberry Syrup: This is a great way of preserving fresh, ripe elderberries. The syrup keeps in a jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Or you can freeze it in ice cube trays, then store the cubes in plastic bags, to last all winter.

Got one? Send us your recipe!

Back to ingredients index

Back to main recipe index