# Elderberry stems



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

I have painstakingly stripped my berries completely off the stems each year when I harvest berries for jelly, etc. Someone recently told me the small stems were safe.

I steam extract my berries, so that would mean the stems would be steamed too.

I'd love to hear some opinions on this, and if you DO leave some of the stems in place, a picture showing just what portion is safe would be much appreciated!


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## bluefish (Jan 27, 2006)

I don't have any pics since I haven't had access to elderberries for years, but here's how I did it. The main bunch is comprised of several smaller bunches. I just snipped each of those off and steamed those 'as is'. Basically I went for as little stem as possible without having to resort to picking each and every berry off. All the years I did it that way, we never got sick or died.


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

That's exactly what I wanted to know, thank you. That would save me hours and hours!


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Oh, Honies - have you heard The Way of the Old Fork? Just comb the berries off the clusters, either cut or while you stand outside with a basket.

Elderberrybornagain


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## sdnapier (Aug 13, 2010)

I don't take the little ones off either and so farâ¦.ack, gag, I don't feel so good! Just kidding!


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

RedDirt Cowgirl said:


> Oh, Honies - have you heard The Way of the Old Fork? Just comb the berries off the clusters, either cut or while you stand outside with a basket.
> 
> Elderberrybornagain


I've tried that, didn't have much luck.


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

i clip entire steam off the plant and put in 5gal bucket. then a little water in large pot and heat dump bucket into pot and mash everything with potatoe masher. pour all through strainer or colinder. your done


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Huh - maybe the kind of elderberry we have here has more bitter stems - they're really puckery if I let the littlest bit in. Having a very worn old silver dinner fork is part of everyone's equipment I discovered when I came back to the ranch after being a city dweller. Another funny thing - at least it cracked me up. In the pantry (accumulations of generations) I had found a plastic gallon milk jug that had the front top cut away and a canvas belt looped through the handle. Typical makedo cow-need-of-the-moment that gets enshrined for the ages, I think. Then the first time I go out to pick up some folks for berrying, at every stop is a cooler and a couple of these modified jugs - they had all adopted it while I had been citified in ignorance. I hadn't been the cook, so didn't know about the fork either. That one was a life changer for me.

A German woman taught me how to make elderberry blossom pancakes by setting the blossom on top of the just poured cake, when it's time to turn lift up the stem and the flowers stay. Very pretty with cocoa cakes, orange butter and powdered sugar.


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