Several years ago I bought a "'Walk on the Wild Side'a wild berry
cookbook".
In the Highbush Cranberry section she tells to freeze the clusters to clean
them.
Words can't relate how well this works. Do the freezing in a bucket. Take
the bucket
from the freezer and give the bucket a thump on the floor and you have two
things, berries
and leaves & stems.
This freezing method with slight handling modifications work with
elderberries and red currants.
It does not work with grape clusters.
In the case of elderberries after the removal to the large stems a strong
breeze will remove the
chaff from the berries. Try it, you will love it.

On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 15:54:48 GMT, "Richard Kruse" >
wrote:

>Several years ago I bought a "'Walk on the Wild Side'a wild berry
>cookbook".
>In the Highbush Cranberry section she tells to freeze the clusters to clean
>them.
>Words can't relate how well this works. Do the freezing in a bucket. Take
>the bucket
>from the freezer and give the bucket a thump on the floor and you have two
>things, berries
>and leaves & stems.
>This freezing method with slight handling modifications work with
>elderberries and red currants.
>It does not work with grape clusters.
>In the case of elderberries after the removal to the large stems a strong
>breeze will remove the
>chaff from the berries. Try it, you will love it.
>

I have tried this method, as I've heard of it before reading this
newsgroup. In fact, I tried tonight.

I have about 8 lbs. but have another large supply waiting for me on
the vines.

My dilemma is this. It removes the large stems quite well. Lots of
"twigs" and berries. But about 1/3 of the berries still have the
small stem attached to the m. Is this a sign of under-ripe or over
ripe berries? By the time I try to separate the stems from a 1/4 cup,
the beries crumple and make a nasty mess. I am separating using the
cooke sheet methond, by letting the frozen true berries roll to the
bottom, and the one with the stems stay on the top 1/3 of the sheet.
I do 1/4 cup at a time.

any help is greatly appreciated.

Greg, Erie, PA

On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 15:54:48 GMT, "Richard Kruse" >
wrote:

>Several years ago I bought a "'Walk on the Wild Side'a wild berry
>cookbook".
>In the Highbush Cranberry section she tells to freeze the clusters to clean
>them.
>Words can't relate how well this works. Do the freezing in a bucket. Take
>the bucket
>from the freezer and give the bucket a thump on the floor and you have two
>things, berries
>and leaves & stems.
>This freezing method with slight handling modifications work with
>elderberries and red currants.
>It does not work with grape clusters.
>In the case of elderberries after the removal to the large stems a strong
>breeze will remove the
>chaff from the berries. Try it, you will love it.
>

I have tried this method, as I've heard of it before reading this
newsgroup. In fact, I tried tonight.

I have about 8 lbs. but have another large supply waiting for me on
the vines.

My dilemma is this. It removes the large stems quite well. Lots of
"twigs" and berries. But about 1/3 of the berries still have the
small stem attached to the m. Is this a sign of under-ripe or over
ripe berries? By the time I try to separate the stems from a 1/4 cup,
the beries crumple and make a nasty mess. I am separating using the
cooke sheet methond, by letting the frozen true berries roll to the
bottom, and the one with the stems stay on the top 1/3 of the sheet.
I do 1/4 cup at a time.

any help is greatly appreciated.

Greg, Erie, PA

> I have tried this method, as I've heard of it before reading this
> newsgroup. In fact, I tried tonight.
>
> I have about 8 lbs. but have another large supply waiting for me on
> the vines.
>
> My dilemma is this. It removes the large stems quite well. Lots of
> "twigs" and berries. But about 1/3 of the berries still have the
> small stem attached to the m. Is this a sign of under-ripe or over
> ripe berries? By the time I try to separate the stems from a 1/4 cup,
> the beries crumple and make a nasty mess. I am separating using the
> cooke sheet methond, by letting the frozen true berries roll to the
> bottom, and the one with the stems stay on the top 1/3 of the sheet.
> I do 1/4 cup at a time.
>
> any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> Greg, Erie, PA

hi greg,
i have used this method and have the exact same
results. the small stems are a result of the freezing, not under, or over,
ripe berries. this is the first year i destemmed the berries fresh-picked.
what a labor intensive job! but, the result is great...eliminating about
90-95 % of those stems. i have been getting 4-6 pounds per trip and it takes
about 2-3 hours to destem. i then freeze after. this method also works well
on frozen berries, as long as you strip them with fingers and not a fork.hth
jim book
new castle, pa
getting ready for steelhead!

> I have tried this method, as I've heard of it before reading this
> newsgroup. In fact, I tried tonight.
>
> I have about 8 lbs. but have another large supply waiting for me on
> the vines.
>
> My dilemma is this. It removes the large stems quite well. Lots of
> "twigs" and berries. But about 1/3 of the berries still have the
> small stem attached to the m. Is this a sign of under-ripe or over
> ripe berries? By the time I try to separate the stems from a 1/4 cup,
> the beries crumple and make a nasty mess. I am separating using the
> cooke sheet methond, by letting the frozen true berries roll to the
> bottom, and the one with the stems stay on the top 1/3 of the sheet.
> I do 1/4 cup at a time.
>
> any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> Greg, Erie, PA

hi greg,
i have used this method and have the exact same
results. the small stems are a result of the freezing, not under, or over,
ripe berries. this is the first year i destemmed the berries fresh-picked.
what a labor intensive job! but, the result is great...eliminating about
90-95 % of those stems. i have been getting 4-6 pounds per trip and it takes
about 2-3 hours to destem. i then freeze after. this method also works well
on frozen berries, as long as you strip them with fingers and not a fork.hth
jim book
new castle, pa
getting ready for steelhead!

In article >, "Richard Kruse" > wrote:
>Several years ago I bought a "'Walk on the Wild Side'a wild berry
>cookbook".
>In the Highbush Cranberry section she tells to freeze the clusters to clean
>them.
>Words can't relate how well this works. Do the freezing in a bucket. Take
>the bucket
>from the freezer and give the bucket a thump on the floor and you have two
>things, berries
>and leaves & stems.
>This freezing method with slight handling modifications work with
>elderberries and red currants.
>It does not work with grape clusters.
>In the case of elderberries after the removal to the large stems a strong
>breeze will remove the
>chaff from the berries. Try it, you will love it.
>
>

In my experience, if the berries fall off the stem that easily, they're a little
overripe. YMMV.

(They are certainly a pain in the neck to pick and clean!)

Woods

In article >, "Richard Kruse" > wrote:
>Several years ago I bought a "'Walk on the Wild Side'a wild berry
>cookbook".
>In the Highbush Cranberry section she tells to freeze the clusters to clean
>them.
>Words can't relate how well this works. Do the freezing in a bucket. Take
>the bucket
>from the freezer and give the bucket a thump on the floor and you have two
>things, berries
>and leaves & stems.
>This freezing method with slight handling modifications work with
>elderberries and red currants.
>It does not work with grape clusters.
>In the case of elderberries after the removal to the large stems a strong
>breeze will remove the
>chaff from the berries. Try it, you will love it.
>
>

In my experience, if the berries fall off the stem that easily, they're a little
overripe. YMMV.

(They are certainly a pain in the neck to pick and clean!)

Woods

I will preface this with the fact that I am relatively new to growing and
harvesting elderberries. (less than ten years, two batches of wine). Though
hardy to this zone they are not growing naturally. I have a race with the
ripening of the fruit and a killing frost. (Sept 21).
So I harvest about the middle of Sept. I remove the ripe portions of
clusters with a snip into my pail. I freeze the works. After the berries
are frozen I take my hands , stir and crunch the still frozen berries,
removing the large stems. I put back in the freezer. Realize that by now
it is most likely into October when one can dress for a cold breeze. It is
on one of these days I pour the pail with frozen berries into an empty
bucket at a height that the berries will not be blown out of the path to the
lower bucket. Do this several times and you should clean berries.
Dick

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 00:55:19 GMT, "Richard Kruse" >
wrote:

>I will preface this with the fact that I am relatively new to growing and
>harvesting elderberries. (less than ten years, two batches of wine). Though
>hardy to this zone they are not growing naturally. I have a race with the
>ripening of the fruit and a killing frost. (Sept 21).
> So I harvest about the middle of Sept. I remove the ripe portions of
>clusters with a snip into my pail. I freeze the works. After the berries
>are frozen I take my hands , stir and crunch the still frozen berries,
>removing the large stems. I put back in the freezer. Realize that by now
>it is most likely into October when one can dress for a cold breeze. It is
>on one of these days I pour the pail with frozen berries into an empty
>bucket at a height that the berries will not be blown out of the path to the
>lower bucket. Do this several times and you should clean berries.
>Dick
>


Dick,

This trick sounds like a winner. I will try this trick, and as winter
approaches, we will get plenty of wind off the lake. If I find myself
in need of freezer space or an antsy feeling and empty primaries I may
try this with a fan blowing across the buckets of berries.

Thanks also, Jim. The above trick sounds like it is worth a try.
Those damn little berries are way too time consuming for me. Not that
I don't want to spend the time to get it right, but there are soooo
many other things on the plate right now that it is berry season.

Greg

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 00:55:19 GMT, "Richard Kruse" >
wrote:

>I will preface this with the fact that I am relatively new to growing and
>harvesting elderberries. (less than ten years, two batches of wine). Though
>hardy to this zone they are not growing naturally. I have a race with the
>ripening of the fruit and a killing frost. (Sept 21).
> So I harvest about the middle of Sept. I remove the ripe portions of
>clusters with a snip into my pail. I freeze the works. After the berries
>are frozen I take my hands , stir and crunch the still frozen berries,
>removing the large stems. I put back in the freezer. Realize that by now
>it is most likely into October when one can dress for a cold breeze. It is
>on one of these days I pour the pail with frozen berries into an empty
>bucket at a height that the berries will not be blown out of the path to the
>lower bucket. Do this several times and you should clean berries.
>Dick
>


Dick,

This trick sounds like a winner. I will try this trick, and as winter
approaches, we will get plenty of wind off the lake. If I find myself
in need of freezer space or an antsy feeling and empty primaries I may
try this with a fan blowing across the buckets of berries.

Thanks also, Jim. The above trick sounds like it is worth a try.
Those damn little berries are way too time consuming for me. Not that
I don't want to spend the time to get it right, but there are soooo
many other things on the plate right now that it is berry season.

Greg