wild elderberries

[el wino]

Here are tie pics i promised of the vine fruit and what we already I.D.as being wild elderberry bushes.I went hunting for the elderberry bush and found alot of bushes.now I have found me a wild elderberry source.the other grapes not yet for sure if they are mustang grapes still resea

rching..

 

[Wade E]

Those sure look like grapes to me. Are you grabbing the ones that are ripe or are they not quite ripe yet. Get them before the birds do!

 

[el wino]

I didn't pick any of the grapes because of a time frame I had..So I zeroed on the elderberries.With that 5-gallon bucket which is 3/4 filled,will that make at least a gallon or two of elderberry wine...yes i would be picking only the ripe fruit.Looks like some are ripen while others aren't.

 

[grapeman]

You should get enough of the edlerberries for at least a gallon and probably 2 depending on how much settling they did. The best way to tell is to clean them and weigh the berries. I use 3-5 pounds per gallon depending on how strong I want it.


I DO NOT believe the other fruit are any sort of grape. I can't be certain because I am not familiar with southern grapes(don't know where you are located). Grape have single palm(as in hand)shaped leaves and the older growth is woody. All I see is succulent vines, indicating an annual growing vine. The leaves appear to be compound leaves with leaflets opposite each other in pairs. These all indicate belonging to a species of hundreds of nightshade type plants. Most if not all of these type plants have varying degrees of poisons to them. Some of them have been taken by humans for their hallucinogenic properties but are responsible for many accidental poisonings.


If you let us know what state you are in we might be able to help further, otherwise seek the assistance of the local extension office at your first chance, but I would recommend agaisnt making any wine from these at this point.Edited by: appleman

 

[NorthernWinos]

Mustang Grape Image..

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/shrubs/vitismus0489.jpg


This Site the leaves look different...so who's to say...

http://www.noble.org/WebApps/PlantImageGallery/Plant.aspx?PlantID=72&PlantTypeID=3Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[OldWino1]

go for 5 gals of elderberry if you can after all theres as much work in 5 gals as there is in 1 gal. but 5 bottles to 25 bottles give me the 25 bottles. 25 would have time to mellow in the bottle

 

[Dean]

Yep, those are elderberries alright! If you let them get even more ripe, they will develop a white-ish coat on them, sort of like when blueberries get very ripe too.

Remember to get rid of all the stems as much as you can! They create a green goo that is hard to remove. Keep elderberry wine in the dark as well, as light, especially UV light, will damage the color you get and turn it an ugly brown. It doesn't affect taste, but it sure makes it look ugly. I keep my carboys covered for about 1 year, then bottle, and wait 6 more months. Taste it to see if it is palatable then. Otherwise, you will end up with a tannin bomb of a wine. It takes a while for this wine to mellow, but when it does, it's very very good!

 

[Harry]

Hi All you Elderberry wine lovers,I opened a bottle or my Eldreberry wine yesterday and it is great . I started it 7/3/05 & bottled it 7/6/06 . Now i wish i had made 5 gallons insted of one.

Harry

 

[Wade E]

This is why I only make 6 gallon batches now as every small batch I have made was awesome and every batch I have made was good enough to drink so why not just make big batches and reap all the benefits unless you only have enough to make a small batch, that will have to do.

 

[el wino]

well its not a mustang grape comparing the image northern winos has posted.I believe I canmake a gallon for sure from the elderberries.I appleman I am in pasadena,texas.I may wait till I canpick more of the elderberries before i start a batch,5-gal.would be the same work,old wino.Hi harry....Dean,I have almost gotten all the stems out.I do have the little tiny red stems the berries are actually attached too.do i have to get all of them out.How many pounds of berries did you use for 6-gal.batch Wade.

 

[Wade E]

El Wino, i have never made Elderberry wine as there really arent any around here. The only option I have is to get the cans of Vintners Harvest wine base!

 

[grapeman]

I use about 3-4 lbs per gallon and it is plenty strong for me, but I use wild elderberries. The ones you have are likely also wild elderberries so if you can use about that much you should be OK. The little stems will cause the green goo but it is not serious, just a mess to clean up. It also takes an average of 3-4 rackings to get most of the goo gone.

 

[el wino]

I will have to pick more, Appleman in order to make 5-gal..There were more elderberries but they were not ripen.How much longerwill these berries still be available in the wild.what are their growing season time frame.

 

[grapeman]

Keep them frozen and pick as long as they continue to ripen about once a week or until they run out. It depends on your location as to the length of season. When you get enough or they quit bearing then just thaw them and go for it.

 

[el wino]

Well I am in Pasadena ,Texas....But,I will ckeck on them because I did see other bushes that still had unripen friut....I only picked what looks like a
couple of pounds......

 

[el wino]

Oh .yeah I already put them in the freezer.