My Elderberrires are ripening. Should I leave then until they all ripen? Or should I get them with some not ripened?
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I can’t see the photos well, but I leave them till all ripe on one cluster. Clusters may ripen at different times. What I do, I only harvest Euro Elders, so American may be different? I freeze the clusters as it’s easier to remove frozen berries. You do get some stem that way, but i filter them with a fine sieve when processing.
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Like Drew said. I have the common elder (Sambucus Canadensis) used for flu type remedies. When the panicles go from erect to inverted (droop) and have mostly changed color I harvest. This may be different on other newer varieties.
I immerse in a bowl of clean water (dirt sinks, bugs float) and allow to dry slightly on some newspaper, then freeze.
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Yeah you should clean them! I forgot about that!
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lucky bugger. mine are just flowering. smells great in the yard!i have black lace/ black beauty and wylewood/ bob gordon. the black lace is beautiful with its purple foliage and pink blossoms. looks almost like a japenese maple.
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I have Nova, York,Adams and Johns. They are first year trees. Im in zone 8b and it seems things bloom a ripen here early. Mine all got big beautiful white flowers. Very nice plant with many uses. I have 3 of each variety…
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going to have plenty of elderberries! i have 6 that are 3 yrs old. 2 2yr. old . wylewood is 10ft. tall! try elderberry syrup on pancakes. fabulous!
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I have one too, and yes it is very striking. I grow mine mostly for ornamental reasons.
I grow the Euros Samyl and Samdal for production purposes. I remove fruiting wood after harvest. Keeps the plant small and easy to harvest. I remove till a non fruiting branch, or the whole thing if no non-fruiting branches.
Earlier in the season
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my wylewood and bob gordon are 8ft. tall 6ft wide. I’m afraid to prune them because our short growing season. should i start to prune out the 3 yr wood come winter? they almost filled the 8ft. space between the bushes. by next year they will be a 30ft. hedge! just pruning broken or misplaced canes right now.
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Got the same with some American too. I also pick them and then freeze before the dang BIRDS get them all.
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Yes, 3 year old wood will become unproductive. The Euros I got were bred to prune off 2nd year wood. Not sure that is best practice for others? I don’t know? If left alone they will grow into trees. On my ornamentals I kinda want that.
I have a variegated elderberry too. Two types exist, One I keep killing. This one is easy to grow. Here is a shot from above out a bedroom window. It tends to sprawl all over. I will probably trim the lower branches off, even though they are new this year. i want a tree form.
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nice! my black beauty/black lace sprawled like that the 1st year. now growing more upright. yours will probably do the same next season.
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Great info. everybody. I’ll keep and eye on them. I wonder if Nets will keep the birds out? You all have some great looking plants there. I’m thinking I’m going to let mine just grow except prune the non producing canes and have them as basically a hedge. I like them that way…
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I have elderberries that a friend gave me that I’ve grown for 5 years but don’t know what to make from them, so they have always gone unused. What are the different things made from elderberries? Would anyone like to share recipes for uses of these?
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Elderberry Pie!
4 cups elderberries
1 1⁄4 cups sugar
6 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
Pie Crust
Combine berries, sugar, flour, and lemon juice in a medium sauce pan.
Heat mixture until it just starts to boil, stirring occassionaly.
Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread bottom crust in a 9 inch pie pan.
Spread berry mixture in pie shell.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
Dot butter on top.
Put top crust on and seal edges.
Poke several vent holes in top crust.
Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, leaving pie in oven, and bake for 30 minutes longer.
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Ive used Youtube myself if you have access. Syrup, tea, pie, wine, etc… A lot of uses. It’s got medicinal uses too…
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i have a concentrated elderberry syrup in the fridge mixed with a little vodka to preserve it. if i feel like I’m coming down with something, i take a couple teaspoons daily till’ i feel better. may be coincidence but i haven’t had a cold in 4 yrs. 
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Elderberry wine is very good for blending with other fruit wines to add complexity and body. I like it on its own too, but no one else has.
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Those look awesome! Mine were much smaller. Although mine are just first year trees. I can’t wait to get that kind of production. Beautiful…
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