February 6th, 2008 · 1 Comment
I had a request as to whether elderberries and Queen Anne’s Lace were the same thing, and I have to say I thought that too when I was in the Missouri Ozarks a couple years ago, even to the point of snapping a photo to check it out later.
But as shown in the photo above, Queen Anne’s Lace is a cluster of tiny white flowers on a long, spindly stem with small leaves, while elderberries are a large, full bush with multiple clusters and many long, pointed thin leaves. (For a bit more detail on Queen Anne’s Lace and its relation to the carrot, try this link.) Below is a photo of elderberries taken from the same area (note they’re also slightly dusty from being next to dirt roads) before the flowers have fully bloomed, making the clusters seem slightly flatter than they can get at their prime.
Tags: growing & harvesting
This post from Delicious Days is absolutely gorgeous - one of my favorites I’ve found on the web. Excellent photography and photo quality, and closeups of the delicate flower clusters and tiny not-yet-grown berries. Includes step by step descriptions of making elderflower fritters and elderflower cordial (note this is elderflower, not elderberry syrup).
Tags: food & drink · recipes
It’s been a while since I posted anything about the progress of this site, so I figure it’s about time. I gave the site a facelift last night, and while I really liked the pretty green of the former look, I think this one will be easier to expand as I continue to collect more elderberry info. Plus I finally found a template I could adapt with my own elderberry photos, taken while driving through Arkansas and Missouri a couple years ago. I’m not terribly fond of the utter whiteness of the new look, but I’ll work in some color over time.
I’m currently expanding the recipe section into multiple pages, as well as including a brief list of ingredients and general time requirements on each recipe, to make it easier for visitors to scan them and determine which ones they’re most interested in reading more about. I’m also watching the search terms that people are using to find this site, as a way to get an idea of what questions the site should be able to answer. How am I doing? What’s the site missing? Did it give you what you were looking for? Feel free to comment and let me know!
Tags: about this site
January 29th, 2008 · 7 Comments
A reader of this site just posted that he has quite a few elderberries available, so I thought I’d repost his info for anyone looking for a person-to-person source.
Ulrich writes, “I have elderberries here in Oklahoma and am looking for new places to sell destemmed berries. I have about 400 lbs in freezer from last season. They are in gallon ziplocks, some in 30lb boxes and 1 130lb box, all in freezer. These berries are from a plot that i planted to try them out for this region. They are doing well and I put them under drip irrigation to help them thru the dry spells we have here. Hope to set up a way to get these berries to public to be used for cooking, etc.”
In case anyone is looking to buy, his email is robcrkranch@hotmail if anyone wants to contact him.
Thanks, Ulrich!
Tags: growing & harvesting
January 28th, 2008 · 1 Comment
This photo from the King Country Plant Guide shows a good closeup of the flowering stage of Sambucus racemosa, or the red elderberry. (Remember, this is the elderberry that grows in cooler North American climates, and should not be eaten!) You can really see the difference between the fist-sized bunched appearance of the racemosa flowers versus the flatter, wider flower clusters of the Sambucus nigra and canadensis (the black, purple and dark blue elderberries that are most often eaten). This photo shows an entire red elderberry shrub - sizable, but smaller than its wild nigra and canadensis counterparts. And in this photo, there’s certainly no confusion as to which kind of elderberry this is… look at those beautiful red berries! Too bad they should be left for the birds.
Tags: growing & harvesting
This post from Prodigal Gardens Medicinal Herbs and Wild Foods lists out some of the natural crops that arrive in September, including acorns, walnuts, hickory nuts, wild grapes, and of course, elderberries. Includes some photos and quite a few links to elderberry products and other information.
Tags: food & drink · growing & harvesting
January 25th, 2008 · 5 Comments
This elderberry syrup recipe from Keri Mae is the best description I’ve seen yet of how to make elderberry syrup. Includes photos of every step!
Tags: food & drink · recipes
I found this blog through this post on using elderberry elixir to get through respiratory distress season, but I’m drawn in by the blog description. While I like my city life, there are times I’d love to be described as a “river and a wild thing.”
Of note in this particular post is her reminder that Elder, as well as many herbal remedies, can act as a flushing mechanism for toxins, so it’s important to stay hydrated when using them.
Tags: health effects
So the first of the several steps in this article is to boost your immune system by “introducing flavonoids into your diet.” It then goes on to say that according to the latest USDA report on flavonoids, elderberry fruit has the highest concentration of flavonoids.
Is it just me, or does the term “flavonoid” sound like a marketing buzzword? I’m curious as to what those are. I’ll research and get back to you.
Tags: health effects
January 20th, 2008 · 4 Comments
There is so much to learn in this blog from an herbal wellness consultant that I don’t even know where to start. Except, well, that I’ll start with her article on Sambu Guard, an elderflower and elderberry syrup, and its effect on stubborn sinus issues. I’m thinking this must be a different Sambu Guard than the one I recently bought, though, as mine has no elderflower, but a blend of elderberry, echinacaea and vitamin C instead. As an allergy sufferer myself, I’d be very, very interested to find an elderflower blend to replace the drugstore meds.
Well now, wait… looking at the ingredients I do see it has “wild elderberry fruit and flower concentrate”… maybe this is the same stuff after all? Here’s mine for comparison’s sake:
Tags: health effects
