Elderberries!

[Julie]

Thanks Julie, I'll have to keep an eye out for those. Can't say I recall seeing any leaves looking like them along the path. It would be nice. I'll have to print those pics and take them with me next time.

Gotta find some elderberries this year for sure.

Doug,

Didn't you say you had a camp or a friend had a camp that you go to up north? Look up there as well.

 

[ffemt128]

Doug,

Didn't you say you had a camp or a friend had a camp that you go to up north? Look up there as well.

Parent have a place in Somerset. I have friends that make wine down there that have a patch they pick from everyyear.

 

[St Allie]

I'd love to. It's actually quite simple.

4 c. elderberries
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp flour

mix thoroughly and put in shell

10 min. @ 450*
40 min. @ 375*

elderberries should be picked through and cleaned. (probably the same as you would prepare them for wine I suppose.)

I need to say that my pies are O.K., but pies from the friend who gave me the recipe are outstanding, so the Cook is an important part of the recipe as well.

Regards,
Steve

just saw this..

thanks Steve, I have about 4 cups of elderberries in the freezer, so that works out really well!

Allie

 

[myakkagldwngr]

Down here in Florida, they are on every ditch bank and road side. Just start looking for a green plant with the clumps of very small white flowers and when you see them and recognize them, you might start seeing them everywhere.
Around here, the wetter the better. You can find them growing on a sandy dry fenceline, but the ones in the wet areas are the ones that really are thick and produce the most berries.

 

[ffemt128]

I'll need to go for another walk in the area and see what I can locate now. There has to be some around here somewhere and if not it is good to get out and get some excercise.

 

[ffemt128]

I think I may have spied a couple elderberry bushes along side the road about a mile from my house the other day. From a distance they look promising with lots of white flowers. I need to go check them out from a closer distance and take a picture so I can confirm they are or are not elderberries. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as they look to be decent sized bushes.

 

[carmine]

I think I may have spied a couple elderberry bushes along side the road about a mile from my house the other day. From a distance they look promising with lots of white flowers. I need to go check them out from a closer distance and take a picture so I can confirm they are or are not elderberries. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as they look to be decent sized bushes.

Can you please take a picture like you said. I see alot of white flowers on trees on the side of roads too but i don't know what they look like . I heard that elderberries are poiseness if they are not properly done???? I don't know if this is true or not.
carmine

 

[BobF]

Can you please take a picture like you said. I see alot of white flowers on trees on the side of roads too but i don't know what they look like . I heard that elderberries are poiseness if they are not properly done???? I don't know if this is true or not.
carmine

http://www.google.com/images?q=elderberry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_canadensis

 

[Wade E]

Those pics dont do real justice as the flowers usually are very flat topped. You will see them by the roadside quite often. They usually look tighter also and not so spread apart.

 

[Julie]

These are the ones in my backyard and no elderberries are not poisonous. I can a couple more pics if anyone is interested. Just let me know

 

[Wade E]

Actually there are parts of the plant that can be poisonous from what Ive read. Here is an article about it.
"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. "

 

[Wade E]

Here is a friend of mines website who I think jumped on this forum for a small time but hasnt been on here in awhile. he does still frequent the other forum though. Her is modest and says he's not a pro with elderberries but has a lot of info on these so check out this site below.
http://www.oatmealjack.com/Elderberries/Elderberries.html

 

[ffemt128]

Wade, that is one cool elderberry site. I think tomorrow on my lunch break I'll run up and take a look at those supossed bushes and see. I'll take a pic and compare it to others already posted but they pretty much resemble those pics from the site Wade posted. At least from the road (20 yds) they do.

 

[ffemt128]

Was going to the storage facility to get my son's furniture and spied what appeared to be an elderberry bush. Sure enough it was. I checked the other 2 I had suspected and yes, score. I walked along the creek by our house, no good bit I did locate 2 more on the way home. So in total there are about 5 good size bushes locally to my home that I'll be checking again in August.

 

[Wade E]

I have been driving around on my way to work different ways and have written down every place where they are growing and have a ton of these places and a few of them are monstrous. If I beat the birds to them again this year I will need many fermenters!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ffemt128]

They are definately easier to spot with flowers on the plants, very distinctive looking.

 

[Julie]

Was going to the storage facility to get my son's furniture and spied what appeared to be an elderberry bush. Sure enough it was. I checked the other 2 I had suspected and yes, score. I walked along the creek by our house, no good bit I did locate 2 more on the way home. So in total there are about 5 good size bushes locally to my home that I'll be checking again in August.

Doug,

I can see mind from my kitchen window, I'll let you know when mind get ripe.

 

[Wade E]

I have just decided that with all those bushes a Elderflower wine needs to be made so Ill be collecting these this week.

 

[Julie]

I have just decided that with all those bushes a Elderflower wine needs to be made so Ill be collecting these this week.

Well I wanted to do the same thing with the elderberries that are up at our camp but the power company came in last fall and sprayed under the electrical wires and well there went the elderberries. There are a couple popping up but it is going to be a few year before they are in abundance again.

 

[ffemt128]

Doug,

I can see mind from my kitchen window, I'll let you know when mind get ripe.

That sounds great, when do they usually start getting ripe. I'm looking everywhere I drive now that I know for sure what they look like. I think I may have seen some last weekend when I was out on the bike. I'll have to take the same ride this weekend if the weather is nice and check again.

It should be interesting to see what the yield is per bush that I have found so far.