Elderberry Whole

Dried elderberries are the small, dark fruit of Sambucus nigra, wrinkled and firm once dried and a deep purple that stains everything it steeps in. The flavour is bright and fruity, sweet-tart with earthy undertones.

Sold whole and dried, the berries are small, round and wrinkled, and they keep for a long time when stored airtight. Their deep colour comes from natural pigments called anthocyanins, which is why elderberry is also used to colour jams, syrups and drinks. Raw elderberries, and the stems and leaves of the plant, should not be eaten, so always cook or steep the dried berries as described below.

How to use it

Simmer them into jams and syrups, where the fruit intensity comes forward, or work them into muffins, pies and breads. Steeped in a herbal tea blend they contribute both flavour and a rich purple colour, and they are the base of elderberry wine and other fruit-forward drinks. They can be used whole, rehydrated, or simmered into a decoction, and they are used cooked or steeped rather than eaten raw. Give a syrup a long, low simmer so the berries release their colour before you sweeten it.

Details

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