Elderberry fiend

When I was in Idaho last weekend my SIL Julie was making elderberry juice with the juice extractor I bought her last Christmas. I wanted some and brother Doug picked some more berries (as did I since I didn’t know he was doing it) and I ended with a full gallon of juice to bring back home.

Barb had said she would help me preserve any fruits I brought back but she was thinking apples, pears, and prunes. She didn’t know anything about elderberries. I happily informed her that you make jelly out of them. For some reason her enthusiasm did not match mine. Obviously she had been culturally deprived for all these years and once I informed her of this she would have the enthusiasm to match mine. For some reason that didn’t work out quite like I planned. She remained skeptical but looked up a recipe and yesterday she purchased the supplies.

Today we made elderberry jelly, cranberry jelly (from 100%, no water or sugar added, cranberry juice I bought in an Idaho store after daughter Kim told me about it), and 50/50 elderberry/cranberry jelly.

Here is the result:

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Barb, after I insisted that it was really good, tasted some of the cooled foam that we scooped off prior to putting the jelly it in the jars.

She became an elderberry fiend. As soon as we finished with the jelly she made elderberry syrup, elderberry liquor, and some sort of mix of vodka and elderberries. If there are still elderberries on the trees when we next go to Idaho she wants more.

I think I have been forgiven for bringing home the elderberry juice.

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12 thoughts on “Elderberry fiend

  1. So, if I’m reading this correctly, you’re admitting that, at least today, Kim’s father smelt of elderberries.
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    I denounce myself.

    • Neither Barb nor I understand this. At least we are pretty sure we are missing some context that you are eluding to.

      • From Monty Python’s Search for the Holy Grail.

        “Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries!” In other words, the person being spoken to was an illegitimate rodent aka rat bastard.

    • The raw berries are tart and bitter.

      With sugar they are magical.

      At least that is how Barb describes them.

      • It sounds like something I would like. The ethnic groceries around me have lots of juices made from things I’ve never heard of and I was trying to figure out if any of them are elderberry. I can’t really tell with what I can look up online….

  2. Here is the elderberry scene. It is good, as is almost anything done by Monty Python.

    • If that is the best they have to offer I have no need to defend my avoidance of all of their material.

      Thank you for sharing.

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