Picking Elderberries the EASIEST way

[Wade E]

The elderberries here are finally ready for picking and I really just havent had the time now. Tomorrow morn I will be giving blood and hopefully after that Im not shot for the day as Im sometimes and Sunday Im working because Im not working tomorrow and they need this job done but I had already had plans to do the blood give and I dont like to break plans. Also tomorrow I have another 100 or so bottles to pick up from a friends house who has struck a gold mine with a restaurant that does a lot of weddings. Im getting really backed up here!

 

[Cracked Cork]

http://www.oatmealjack.com/Elderberries/ElderberriesFlowers.html

THe link above might help you out some. Make your identification from the leaves first, not based on it had dark purple berries because a lot of things have small purple berries.

Crackedcork

 

[OGrav]

Thanks, I'll check that link out. You're right, there are about three or four different red/purple berry bushes around here, in Germany. I think the one's by the house might be the decorative type.

 

[Cracked Cork]

OGrav, our pics are of American elders, while yours is almost exactly the same maybe you could ask some locals to help you get a good id. Crackedcork

 

[Waldo]

The elderberries here are finally ready for picking and I really just havent had the time now. Tomorrow morn I will be giving blood and hopefully after that Im not shot for the day as Im sometimes and Sunday Im working because Im not working tomorrow and they need this job done but I had already had plans to do the blood give and I dont like to break plans. Also tomorrow I have another 100 or so bottles to pick up from a friends house who has struck a gold mine with a restaurant that does a lot of weddings. Im getting really backed up here!

wade..did you get to pick any of the elderbrries? If they are ripe the birds and critters will get empretty quick

 

[Wade E]

I still have not had a chance but they are still hanging well and low. I gave blood yesterday which always leaves me with little or no energy after-wards and then had to work a full day today and then I cleaned & delabeled 123 bottles. So far the birds have been leaving them alone over here and I yanked a few off on the way home the other day and threw them in some water and they sank fast and tasted good so they are ready. I will try hard to get some this week but so far its not looking good with a few doctor appnts and work. I need a vacation!

 

[Cracked Cork]

We found some that wouldnt be knocked off even though they were ripe and ready. We put a wire cooling rack the with wifes kitchen over the bucket and rubbed the berry heads back and forth across the metal wires mesh and off popped the berries by the hundreds, plus a few stems. So if they berries are not coming off easily, you might want to get one of the wifes wire mesh cooling racks and give them berries a rub up and down it. The water sorting them works just as good as with the knocking on the side of the bucket too. Crackedcork

 

[Wade E]

Thats how a few are around me while others fall right off when just looking at them!

 

[Waldo]

Got the last of mine picked, washed and frozen yesterday. My final yield from my two bushes was3 gallon size zip loc bags and 3 quart size zip loc bags full. Will be steam juicing them in a couple of weeks and thinking I may try an Elderberry/Plum blend with part of them.....

 

[gaudet]

Sounds nice Waldo..... After watching the video, I might give it a shot again this year. Last year I got discouraged by the amount of time it was going to take to pick those berries off the stems. Cracked's methods seem like it will work wonderfully.

 

[Cracked Cork]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcDFTtmK7nU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcDFTtmK7nU[/ame]

Yikes, not another elderberry youtube feature. This time harvesting elderberries using
a wire cooling rack. I did not come up with ANY of these tips, I just
have a camera and a webpage, and I can not find who originally shared
this idea with us to give credit.



Crackedcork

 

[Wade E]

Thanks again for sharing this ingenious idea whomever and crackedcork for showing it to us!

Anyway to make the task at hand with these little monsters is a big help!

 

[Runningwolf]

That was way cool!

 

[Scott]

Wonder how long it takes to get his hands not purple any more?

 

[boozinsusan]

Of COURSE I see this AFTER spending 6 hours yesterday picking, plucking, and cleaning........


Now Maybe I will go back out and pick some more, now that I know I can do it more quickly.....this morning (before seeing these videos) I was NEVER making elderberry wine again!

 

[Wade E]

Thats what I said until I tried the wine I made after struggling last year. Definitely worth the work!

 

[Cracked Cork]

My hands are always purple

 

[Wade E]

I have a 3 day weekend coming up so finally I can get out there. Ive been working 6 days a week for about 2 months now and on that one day off Ive been just running around doing all the house work as my wife had neck surgery awhile ago and still aint good for most work yet and know that school has started today I had a ton of clothes and supplies hopping also for the 2 kids.

 

[Waldo]

I've got that routine coming up wade. Kat has to have surgery on Sept 14 for a torn rotor cuff she got in her wreck a couple of months ago now and just recently found out why her shoulder washurting all the time...shejust never complained to anyone about it until she got to where she could not raise her arm above her head.

 

[boozinsusan]

Sounds like a glass of wine will be good forall of you!



Nice that you guys take care of things.