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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Elderberry Question.......

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  • From: Dag Klaveness <dag.klaveness@bio.uio.no>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Elderberry Question.......
  • Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 20:59:43 +0200


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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