Elderberry Juice

Elderberries are one of nature's gifts that are hard to pass up when you consider the myriad of health benefits they provide.  But removing the berries from the stems and the juice from the berries can be time consuming and messy.

Beautiful ripe elderberry clusters.

A few manual methods you can try are grasping the stem then "combing" the berries off using a fork. Some people find that freezing the clusters makes removing the berries easier.

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The fork technique worked, but was slow going.

But if you have a juicer contraption like the one pictured below you can cook and extract the juice in one step while eliminating the need to remove every piece of stem and strain the berries through cheesecloth or a jelly bag. Historically elderberries were used as a dye, so you can imagine the mess that can be avoided using this process.

The juicer has a clear cover so you can check the progress of the berries without removing the lid.

This stainless steel, three part juicer has a bottom pan that you fill with water. The middle pan is shaped like an angel food cake pan and collects the juice. The top strainer pan holds the fresh elderberries

Fill bottom pan about 3/4 full of tap water to start the process.

Clear elderberry juice in the middle pan.

Elderberries in the top strainer pan ready to be juiced.

To remove the juice from the berries, remove the larger stems and place the berries in the top strainer.  Fill the bottom pan about 3/4 full with water, add the middle and top pans, put the cover on and heat.  Steam will rise from the bottom pan and heat up the berries in the top releasing the juices which will flow into the center collection pan.

The collection pan has an outlet with an attached tube, so you can drain the juice directly into a pitcher.

Once the berries are pale and withered looking, you know that the juice has been extracted and the remaining seeds, skins, and stems are ready for the compost pile.

If you don't have a juicer, just follow this simple procedure;

•  Remove the berries from the stems and put them in a pan.

• Add a bit of filtered water and cook on low, making sure there is always liquid in the pan so you don't burn the berries.  

• Mash the berries when the soften.

• After they are thoroughly cooked remove from the heat source.

•  Allow the berries to cool.

• Place a jelly bag in a bowl and pour the cooled berries into the bag.  

• Twist and squeeze the bag until the juice is in the bowl and only the skins, seeds, and stems remain in the jelly bag.  

• Remove pulp from the bag and compost.

Cooked elderberries in a jelly bag ready to be strained.

Elderberry juice can be made into elderberry syrup, jelly, or sweetened with honey or maple syrup. 

Elderberry has many medicinal constituents and has been scientifically proven to prevent and shorten the duration of colds and flu.

Check out my Elderberry Syrup and Elderberry - Sambucus posts for more detailed information about this amazing berry that may be growing in your neighborhood.

Please note: The objective of this blog is to raise awareness of alternative ways to achieve wellness and to empower you to take an active role in your health decisions.  To accomplish this, you will need to explore these subjects in greater depth and then determine what makes sense for your life.  My hope is that this information will inspire you to start your own search into ways to make your life happier, healthier and more fulfilling.