How to Dry and Store Elderberries

Elder (or Sambucus Nigra) has long been associated with summer in the British Isles, and as such is regularly seen growing in the UK, along with places further afield including Europe and North America. Elder has a long history of being used in a variety of home-made recipes, medicines and cosmetics, with the Elderberries making excellent wine. They can also be used in pies, cakes and jams, along with cold and flu remedies. So how can you make the most of this free bounty?

If making Elderberry wine, fresh Elderberries are really the only way to go. You will want to use them as soon as possible, storing in a cool, dark place until use. If you are planning on using them for pies and other tasty delights, or even for general storage for later use, you will want to dry the berries. Regardless of how you intend to use them, it is worth remembering that you need to remove all stalks before use, otherwise they can taint the finished product with a bitter taste.

When collecting the Elderberries you will want to cut them at the main stalk, rather than trying to tear or pinch it. As with Elderflowers, it is best to pick the berries when they are dry, so avoid picking after rain or first thing in the morning when covered in dew. Remember to only take what you will use, taking too much and throwing them away is just sacrilege.

Elderberries can be dried a couple of ways – with time and patience or quickly in the oven.

The time and patience way includes hanging them by the stalks to air dry for a period of ten days. Make sure you cover with a paper bag, with air holes pierced in it – this will catch any that may fall during the drying process. You can hold the bag in place with an elastic band.

A much quicker way to dry Elderberries is to remove all the stalks and spread them on trays for cooking in a warm oven. You will need to preheat the oven to 50oC (or less) and leave them in there for 7-14 minutes. Be careful not to overcook them – you want them to resemble raisins. You then need to remove them from the oven and leave until completely cold.