North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Dag Klaveness <dag.klaveness@bio.uio.no>]

From Dag Klaveness, Oslo, Norway:

Red Elderberry - Sambucus racemosa

While the Black Elderberry, Sambucus nigra, has been in household use here 
for centuries since introduced as a medicinal plant, the Red Elderberry, 
Sambucus racemosa, was more recently introduced to northern Europe as an 
ornamental plant and has spread vigorously, at least in southern 
Fennoscandia. Red Elderberry is mostly referred to as toxic, i.e. the 
berries are toxic. It is apparently the seeds that are toxic. Therefore, 
the local floras, cookbooks and herbals rarely refer to Red Elderberry as a 
useful species - except the wartime flora and cookbook (in Norwegian) by 
Holmboe, J. and Solbraa-Bay, J. 1941. Gratis mat av ville planter (= "Free 
food from wild plants"). J.W. Cappelens Forlag, Oslo - 143 pp.

Let me try an "abbreviated translation", from page 117 (sorry for the poor 
language):

"Red Elderberry is not as god as the Black Elderberry (then comes some 
reflections on vitamins etc....). If Red Elderberry is boiled too long, the 
taste becomes somewhat nauseate. Therefore, it is recommended to mix the 
juice with som more acidic and freshly tasting juice, as from red currants 
(Ribes rubrum).

Juice from Red Elderberry:

It is difficult to obtain a perfectly clear juice, but it is possible. 
Then, both color and arome become excellent.
Clear away carefully all small stalks on the berries - if we do not, the 
taste will not be good. Pour 1 deciliter (= 0,1 liter = 100 milliliter) 
water to each kilo of berries, heat swiftly and then crush the berries 
carefully so that the seeds are not crushed. Then.let the juice pass throug 
a sieve (my remark: here, traditionally this is a piece of cloth or linen 
made for this particular purpose), do not strain or press, then the juice 
will become cloudy/muddy (not clear). Mix with 1/4 volume of red currant 
juice. Add 100 grams of sugar pr. kilo of berries used, and pasteurize at 
80 degrees Centigrades (C) for 20 minutes. If the juice is not perfectly 
clear after sieving, leave it standing until sediment can be avoided by 
decanting before pasteurisation."

I have not tried this recipe and I do not know anybody else either, but the 
availability of Red Alderberries is tempting.

Here, the juice of Mountain Ash berries (Sorbus aucuparia) is used by 
gourmets to make a very delicious jelly, since the Mountain Ash berries 
also contain lots of pectins. The seeds are removed for the same reasons as 
above.

Cheers from
Dag K. (Oslo, Norway)

At 04:57 16.07.2004 -0700, you wrote:
>    Does anyone have experience with Sambucus racemosa, the Red 
> Elderberry?  Is the ripe, red fruit edible?  If so, does anyone have any 
> recipes?
>
> Thanks,
> Jim Fruth
> Pequot Lakes, MN
>
>
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