This week I was offered elderberries en vrac while picking up my weekly organic basket. Not just a handful but, rather, as much as I wished! Seems that they weren’t too popular with the other farm partners. Even with permission to be gluttonous, I felt greedy, filling a small paper bag with the berries as I explained how Elder is a edible-medicinal plant to the farm guy.
As I made my way home, I started thinking about what to do with my find: syrup, a healing elixir or jam? More research was needed, so I had to preserve the goodness to buy myself some time. I rinsed the berries and gently stuffed them into a freezer bag, stems and all. The next day I shook the frozen berries off, (I have read that freezing helps a lot) and I was left with an almost-full bag.
On Saturday morning I veganized this recipe for Petits Gâteaux au Sureau (elderberry muffins). It’s extremely rich (read: greasy) due to the 150g of margarine I used. That, or the fact that it is a European recipe that uses weighted measurements. Still yummy, though, I’ve started working out again so I’m trying to be careful of my junk food intake.
While the rest of the elderberries stay chilly in the freezer, I’ve decided to make a bit of (raw) tincture for treating winter colds or flus (even though I can’t be 100% sure they’re true sambucas nigra) and the rest will be turned into jam.