Hi, All. Long time since I posted, but I read almost daily...I learn a
lot here.

I am getting a large bushel basket of Elderberries from Ohio (dear soul
has so many, so wanted to share). They are being picked today and I get
them tomorrow.
I am thinking wine or port, but either way - is there any best way to
store these? I probably won't get around to it for a week or two.

First, I will have them in the car for a 10 hour trip home (part of a
visit to parents, so not just doing this for fruit) then will need a
week until I get around to it.

I've read Keller and googled, and have made wine and port before from
Elderberries, just never had a delay in starting the process, so
wondered from your experience what to do:

1. bag and leave along.
2. remove berries, bag and freeze
3. layout and ensure dry
4. freeze stems and all

or any combination. I know freezing most fruits help break them down,
thanks for anyone's replies.
DAve

On Aug 13, 9:06*am, DAve Allison > wrote:
> Hi, All. Long time since I posted, but I read almost daily...I learn a
> lot here.
>
> I am getting a large bushel basket of Elderberries from Ohio (dear soul
> has so many, so wanted to share). They are being picked today and I get
> them tomorrow.
> I am thinking wine or port, but either way - is there any best way to
> store these? I probably won't get around to it for a week or two.
>
> First, I will have them in the car for a 10 hour trip home (part of a
> visit to parents, so not just doing this for fruit) then will need a
> week until I get around to it.
>
> I've read Keller and googled, and have made wine and port before from
> Elderberries, just never had a delay in starting the process, so
> wondered from your experience what to do:
>
> 1. bag and leave along.
> 2. remove berries, bag and freeze
> 3. layout and ensure dry
> 4. freeze stems and all
>
> or any combination. I know freezing most fruits help break them down,
> thanks for anyone's replies.
> DAve

Dave,
I would freeze them but never made Elderberry. There are lots of
Brits that make elderberry wine that posted here if you look in the
archives; I'm pretty sure Trevor Panther said that was one of his
favorites. I'm pretty sure Ben Rotter did them too; I think both have
websites. (Trevor bikes all over the world so may not be available.)

Joe

Elderberries are my favorite. I make a port-like wine
each year. If you do have the opportunity mix them 50-50
with blackberries. That really is a treat !!!

So clean them, seperate the ripe from the unripe and
then put them in zip-lock bags in the freezer.
I always make bags of about 1 kilo so if I need berries I just
take as many bags out of the freezer as I need kilos berries.
I pick about 40 kilo each year.......

Last year I wrote a web-log entry for the elderberries
if you are interested in my methods you can find it he
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2007/0...on-ik-had.html

So in short:
remove the berries from the stems and freeze them. This way you can keep
them for several months.

Luc

DAve Allison wrote:

> Hi, All. Long time since I posted, but I read almost daily...I learn a
> lot here.
>
> I am getting a large bushel basket of Elderberries from Ohio (dear soul
> has so many, so wanted to share). They are being picked today and I get
> them tomorrow.
> I am thinking wine or port, but either way - is there any best way to
> store these? I probably won't get around to it for a week or two.
>
> First, I will have them in the car for a 10 hour trip home (part of a
> visit to parents, so not just doing this for fruit) then will need a
> week until I get around to it.
>
> I've read Keller and googled, and have made wine and port before from
> Elderberries, just never had a delay in starting the process, so
> wondered from your experience what to do:
>
> 1. bag and leave along.
> 2. remove berries, bag and freeze
> 3. layout and ensure dry
> 4. freeze stems and all
>
> or any combination. I know freezing most fruits help break them down,
> thanks for anyone's replies.
> DAve

--
http://www.wijnmaker.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Joe and you for info. I anxiously will read your web-log! thanks.
I have two successful ports - one from fresh and one from dried
elderberries, but always wanting to learn and experiment. thanks.!

DAve

Luc Volders wrote:
> Elderberries are my favorite. I make a port-like wine
> each year. If you do have the opportunity mix them 50-50
> with blackberries. That really is a treat !!!
>
> So clean them, seperate the ripe from the unripe and
> then put them in zip-lock bags in the freezer.
> I always make bags of about 1 kilo so if I need berries I just
> take as many bags out of the freezer as I need kilos berries.
> I pick about 40 kilo each year.......
>
> Last year I wrote a web-log entry for the elderberries
> if you are interested in my methods you can find it he
> http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2007/0...on-ik-had.html
>
> So in short:
> remove the berries from the stems and freeze them. This way you can keep
> them for several months.
>
> Luc
>
> DAve Allison wrote:
>
>> Hi, All. Long time since I posted, but I read almost daily...I learn a
>> lot here.
>>
>> I am getting a large bushel basket of Elderberries from Ohio (dear soul
>> has so many, so wanted to share). They are being picked today and I get
>> them tomorrow.
>> I am thinking wine or port, but either way - is there any best way to
>> store these? I probably won't get around to it for a week or two.
>>
>> First, I will have them in the car for a 10 hour trip home (part of a
>> visit to parents, so not just doing this for fruit) then will need a
>> week until I get around to it.
>>
>> I've read Keller and googled, and have made wine and port before from
>> Elderberries, just never had a delay in starting the process, so
>> wondered from your experience what to do:
>>
>> 1. bag and leave along.
>> 2. remove berries, bag and freeze
>> 3. layout and ensure dry
>> 4. freeze stems and all
>>
>> or any combination. I know freezing most fruits help break them down,
>> thanks for anyone's replies.
>> DAve
>

"DAve Allison" > wrote in message
...
> Hi, All. Long time since I posted, but I read almost daily...I learn a lot
> here.
>
> I am getting a large bushel basket of Elderberries from Ohio (dear soul
> has so many, so wanted to share). They are being picked today and I get
> them tomorrow.
> I am thinking wine or port, but either way - is there any best way to
> store these? I probably won't get around to it for a week or two.
>
> First, I will have them in the car for a 10 hour trip home (part of a
> visit to parents, so not just doing this for fruit) then will need a week
> until I get around to it.
>
> I've read Keller and googled, and have made wine and port before from
> Elderberries, just never had a delay in starting the process, so wondered
> from your experience what to do:
>
> 1. bag and leave along.
> 2. remove berries, bag and freeze
> 3. layout and ensure dry
> 4. freeze stems and all
>
> or any combination. I know freezing most fruits help break them down,
> thanks for anyone's replies.
> DAve

Dave,

I pick mine in three or four batches over the ripening season. Each batch
goes into the freezer until I'm ready to thaw and make wine. Some of my
favorites:
1. elderberry melomel
2. 80% concord, 20% elderberry fruit by weight. The elderberries mellow and
deepen the condords
3. Last year I made an elderberry, blackberry and concord melomel, equal
parts of each but it won't be ready to drink for another year or so.

Paul

How strange,

I gave up looking at this NG long ago.

Got back from 7 very wet weeks cycle camping in France this May June and I am
now planning to travel by train to Berlin next year -- tour around East of
the city ( have a few days in Poland -- to offset the thousands of Poles now
living in England!) before I cycle camp back via Hamburg to Rotterdam and
home

Just to put my elbow into the fray -- as it were -- your deep freeze is a
huge asset in making wines of all sorts. Elderberries should be destemmed
carefully and all unripe berries removed also. I find doing it in fresh water
is a help.

Many years ago I tried freezing them on the stems thinking it would be easier
to separate the berries from the stems in the frozen state -- only did it
once -- very messy and wasteful! Never again.

I certainly keep many "berried fruits" in the freezer. Blackberries of course
( quite essential for my recipes which use blackberries and elderberries --
and elderberries are weeks later coming on line). I also buy a few boxes of
Italian wine grapes each year -- destem them and freeze them to add to
various wines I make

Strawberries make a very good summer still wine and an even better "pink
champagne" but that takes longer and freezing them is the best way to extract
all the juice for fermentation -- even for a couple of days!

Rhubarb is another good " fruit" ( yes I know it isn't) that freezing ensures
good extraction of juice.

Rhubarb is also a very good wine to beef up the country wines -- I don't know
why but I took advice over 30 years ago and still use it to improve the
"blend " of many of my country wines

Right

Nuff said!

It is not my intention to re-enter this forum on a regular basis and it was by
pure chance that I looked on here tonight and saw this post.

Now in my 71st year my cycling is by far the most important part of my life.
if you look at my web site there is nothing about wine making but a lot about
cycle touring!

haven't written up this years disastrous tour yet

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk


"Joe Sallustio" > wrote in message
...
On Aug 13, 9:06 am, DAve Allison > wrote:
> Hi, All. Long time since I posted, but I read almost daily...I learn a
> lot here.
>
> I am getting a large bushel basket of Elderberries from Ohio (dear soul
> has so many, so wanted to share). They are being picked today and I get
> them tomorrow.
> I am thinking wine or port, but either way - is there any best way to
> store these? I probably won't get around to it for a week or two.
>
> First, I will have them in the car for a 10 hour trip home (part of a
> visit to parents, so not just doing this for fruit) then will need a
> week until I get around to it.
>
> I've read Keller and googled, and have made wine and port before from
> Elderberries, just never had a delay in starting the process, so
> wondered from your experience what to do:
>
> 1. bag and leave along.
> 2. remove berries, bag and freeze
> 3. layout and ensure dry
> 4. freeze stems and all
>
> or any combination. I know freezing most fruits help break them down,
> thanks for anyone's replies.
> DAve

Dave,
I would freeze them but never made Elderberry. There are lots of
Brits that make elderberry wine that posted here if you look in the
archives; I'm pretty sure Trevor Panther said that was one of his
favorites. I'm pretty sure Ben Rotter did them too; I think both have
websites. (Trevor bikes all over the world so may not be available.)

Joe