North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Dan Nave <nave1@comcast.net>]

I used to know where quite a few were, but they all seem to have disappeared.

Dan

On 9/10/2011 7:51 PM, Ernest Plutko wrote:
> I saw many elderberry bushes heavily loaded with fruit in the suburbs
> of St Paul.  Never stopped to pick them.
>
> ---- Original Message ----
> From: nave1@comcast.net
> To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] elderberries stem toxicity
> Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:51:05 -0500
>
> > Just picked the first elderberries from two plants that were planted
> > 1 year ago.  John's and Wild
> > Elderberry.  By the way, the wild elderberry seemed to bloom a bit
> > later than the John's so I am not
> > sure that we got all of the John's to fruit.  (Or do they really need
> > another variety to pollinate
> > them?)  Fruit was not abundant but we got almost 2 cups of small
> > berries.  Not that many canes came
> > up but I think it is because it is planted under a maple tree
> > (branches are cut up high) but I think
> > there is some competition with the roots...
> >
> > I remember several years ago collecting elderberries and making wine
> > out of them.  It was incredibly
> > difficult to get the berries off the stems.  I ended up using, and
> > ruining, one of my wife's plastic
> > bristle hair brushes.  Using your method of freezing them it was
> > extremely easy to get the fruit off
> > the stems.  So, thanks a lot for that.
> >
> > I notice many very small stem pieces loose in the bag with the
> > berries so I will have to come up
> > with a method of separating these out.  I would think that spreading
> > them out on a terrycloth towel
> > or something like that and rolling the berries off might leave the
> > twigs behind in the cloth.  Maybe
> > they could be winnowed out.  Any other suggestions?
> >
> > Dan
> > St. Paul, MN, zone 4
> >
> > On 9/3/2011 6:56 AM, John Bunker wrote:
> > > We make elderberry juice.  We steam the berries and extract the
> > > juice.  Then we freeze it and use it later.  It has a strong flavor
> > > but we like it and it has never made us ill.  We have not tried
> > eating
> > > them uncooked.  One of our apprentices ate one S. pubens (Red
> > Elder)
> > > berry.  She decided not to do that again.
> > >
> > > A friend taught us one way to remove the berries from the stems
> > rather
> > > easily.  Freeze the clusters, stems and all in a plastic bag.  Then
> > > whack the bag against a counter or with a stick, etc.  Cut a small
> > > hole in the corner of the bag and then "pour" out the berries.
> > > JB
> > >
> > > John Bunker
> > > Fedco
> > > trees@fedcoseeds.com
> > > www.fedcoseeds.com
> > > PO Box 520
> > > Waterville ME 04903
> > > 207-873-7333
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Aug 28, 2011, at 12:05 AM, mIEKAL aND wrote:
> > >
> > > > It would be interesting to see an analysis of the elderberry goo
> > > > compound.  I wonder if the toxicity is part of what gets bound up
> > in
> > > > the goo in the juicing process.  The goo sticks to everything
> > along
> > > > the way, the primary, the juicer, siphons, so by the time it gets
> > in a
> > > > bottle there is very little sign of it.  I flunked chemistry in
> > high
> > > > school so I'm just wondering out loud.
> > > >
> > > > As for removing it.  The link I posted worked for surfaces where I
> > > > could rub oil on it first&   then scrub vigorously with a lot of
> > soap&
> > > > water.  The oil seems to break it down.  This process won't work
> > for
> > > > the inside of siphons&   for my glass secondary tho...  At last I
> > got
> > > > the primary bucket clean enough to fill it with another load of
> > > > elderberry must.
> > > >
> > > > ~mIEKAL
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 9:56 PM, Jay
> > Cutts<orders@cuttsreviews.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > I once got violently ill after eating elderberries right off the
> > > > > bush.
> > > > > Days later, when I had finally recovered, I did some research and
> > > > > found
> > > > > that the elderberry stems contain a toxin. I had stripped the
> > berries
> > > > > right off the clusters with my teeth (Ok, it was really hot out
> > and I
> > > > > was really parched and I didn't have the patience to pick one
> > berry
> > > > > at a
> > > > > time.)
> > > > >
> > > > > Any run into this? When  you mentioned bits of stem being
> > included I
> > > > > thought of this.
> > > > >
> > > > > Regards,
> > > > >
> > > > > Jay
> > > > >
> > > > > Jay Cutts
> > > > > Director, Cutts Graduate Reviews
> > > > > Lead Author, Barron's Test Prep Publications
> > > > > (800) 353-4898
> > > > > In New Mexico, (505) 281-0684
> > > > > 10 am to 10 pm Mountain Time, 7 days
> > > > __________________
> > > > nafex mailing list
> > > > nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> > > > Subscribe, unsubscribe, change your user configuration or find out
> > > > more about the list here:
> > > > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
> > > > NAFEX web site: http://www.nafex.org/
> > > __________________
> > > nafex mailing list
> > > nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> > > Subscribe, unsubscribe, change your user configuration or find out
> > more about the list here:
> > > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
> > > NAFEX web site: http://www.nafex.org/
> > >
> > >
> > > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> > > Version: 8.5.449 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3875 - Release Date:
> > 09/03/11 18:34:00
> > __________________
> > nafex mailing list
> > nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> > Subscribe, unsubscribe, change your user configuration or find out
> > more about the list here:
> > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
> > NAFEX web site: http://www.nafex.org/
>
> __________________
> nafex mailing list
> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subscribe, unsubscribe, change your user configuration or find out more about 
> the list here:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
> NAFEX web site: http://www.nafex.org/
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 8.5.449 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3887 - Release Date: 09/09/11 
> 18:34:00