I will certainly try this with my harvest. If using dried berries, after steeping in the hot syrup overnight, would it be best to use the immersion blender & then strain it out or simply strain the berries out whole? Thank you. This year, Im experimenting with adding fresh hibiscus (rose of Sharon and swamp mallow) flowers to thicken my syrup a bit more, and to add an extra health bump to my syrup. Average amount and cost of hand harvest and hand destemming labor per pound of destemmed berries (@ wage of $15/hr). First, snip the whole elderberry clusters off of the shrubs, while they are still attached to their main stalks. (I go through some. When grown locally this plant can bring healthto people and the planet. Once dry, the flowers can be separated from the stems by gently rubbing them into a bowl or bucket. HOME. I did use an immersion blender which I think broke the seeds a bit more than usual which might have released more pectin it is slightly bitter compared to last years but its not a bad flavor. The destemming chamber features a removable basket with a bunch of circular holes in it and rotating destemming shaft. Remove two quick bolts and the safety cover slides off and the internal stainless destemming grate slides out for easy cleaning. I know of no one who uses red elderberry for making syrup. If you've got an abundance of elderberries, freezing is a great way to preserve them for future use (or to stockpile them until you have enough for a recipe). Terry is an educator and often speaks at Mother Earth News Fairs and many other conferences in the U.S. Grow a profitable business growing American Elderberries. Is there any reason I cant pick and destem, then freeze the berries and make syrup in a month when Ive got more time? Hey there. I do the food mill method, then move the thick liquid to a fine mesh strainer to remove most of the pulp. is "a revolutionary design formatted for the small farmer low cost and portable capable of [destemming] several hundred pounds per hour and doubling the value of the crop." Elderberry and elderflower are also used to make a wide range of value-added products, which can be made on the farm or by a co-packer. I probably had 3 C at the end so I just used 3 C of sugar. I picked blue elderberries today in Monterey. So, no water bath..just sealing in hot jars? Elderberry is not recommended for children and adolescents under 18 years old, or pregnant or lactating women. Flowers should be harvested when freshly opened. Email us at, Grow Your American Elderberry Business - Buy All 3 Courses! Fenugreek is an herb and supplement that has many benefits for your health. Great recipe and super simple. Too many stems can make the wine taste woody and bitter. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE. Given that type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for heart and vascular disease, blood sugar management is important in preventing these conditions (4, 9). $31.99, Dry Malolactic Bacteria - VP41 (2.5 g) Keep in mind that my elderberry syrup recipe uses blue elderberries, which are Sambucus nigrasubspecies caerulea. I've found that destemming by hand & using a steam juicer works very well for elderberries. Then rinse them under water to remove any insects or debris. Andrew: They should still be OK, but will be harder to pull off the stems. My elderberry syrup recipe developed out of a system Ive used all my adult life for preserving berries: Juice them, add an equal proportion of sugar to make a syrup, and use that shelf stable syrup all year for sauces, glazes, to make sorbet or ice cream, or just to add to soda water for a nice drink. Berries were harvested by hand-plucking whole ripe cymes within safe reach of an 8-foot orchard ladder (approximately 10-12 feet from the ground). James you're a marvel. If this doesnt bother you, it will be fine from a safety perspective. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Terry's Elderberry Destemmer, also known as T.E.D., is a revolutionary design formatted for the small farmer. , Hi, if you dont do a water bath with them, do you put any lemon juice in them to keep them on the shelf and not in the refrigerator. The estimated cost of labor for hand-harvest and hand-destemming, calculated from data collected in a 2018/2019 Sacramento Valley field demonstration study, is shown in TABLE (see below). Elderflowers are most commonly sold in their dried form. Elderberry and elderflower are also used to make a wide range of value-added products, which can be made on the farm or by a co-packer. Seal the bag tightly and freeze. Emerging fruit crops, such as elderberry and aroniaberry, are important value-added crops for small farmers in the rural areas of North Central Region (NCR). Food Grade Stainless Steel for a lifetime of Service River Hills Harvest designed specifically for destemming elderberries, each Elderberry Destemming Tray is made of food-grade stainless steel for a lifetime of serviceno breaking, no replacing (unless you run over it with a tractor!) I know people who keep their syrup in the pantry and theirs has molded after a year or so, so the higher temperature will, eventually, cause you issues. Register today and take advantage of membership benefits. Once you have elderberry juice, measure it, and an equal volume of sugar, bring this to a boil and you now have elderberry syrup. Here are 10 supplements that can reduce inflammation, backed by science. How These Work: Another study in rats found that elderberry extract helped reduce inflammation and oxidative tissue damage (20, 21). I have been making elderberry syrup at home for decades, mostly as a base for drinks or sauces, but it is also good for you. A splash in silver tequila, with a bit of lime. Elderberry fruits, leaves, and flowers are strong antioxidants. The berries are found in small black or blue-black bunches (1). Elderberries are loaded into the top bin where the powered screw feed continually pushes them towards the rollers. $0.99, Vinmetrica - SO2 Reagent Kit for MT560 & MT570 I've got an idea for a grape crusher/ destemer (I've planted a lot of grapes) which would probably work if you have a. James : Sounds interesting, and worth a try in some form. Please like, subscribe, and share! WVMJ. As I mentioned, this elderberry syrup recipe is shelf stable. The flowers have a delicate muscat aroma and can be eaten raw or cooked (1). $38.99, Wyeast 4007 - Liquid Malolactic Bacteria - 125mL About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Bring the elderberries to a boil, stirring often. A tip on picking ripe elderberries: The stems turn red. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . The Best Way to Start Elderberry from Cuttings ~ 2 year testing with pictures. Elderberry Destemming Equipment Our proprietary mechanized elderberry destemmer greatly saves time and money and produces a ready-to-sell elderberry commodity. When ripe, a dusty white bloom forms on the berries and can be harvested as the white bloom fades. On starting and ending ratios.YMMV depending on how juicy your berries are. Harvesting consists of removing entire cymes and later removing berries from the stems (destemming”). Terry supports local farmers and processors to grow the American elderberry industry. Therefore, elderberry cannot be recommended for any particular health benefit. SAVE 11%. To about a gallon of elderberries, I added the last of the black currants from the garden, and a quart of frozen huckleberries from last year. fingers here as well, quicker than a fork for me. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. Elderberry is associated with many additional health benefits, such as fighting cancer and bacteria, immune support, UV protection, and diuretic effects. or other methods for destalking large amounts of elderberries ? After you have an elderberry mash, you will want to do one of two things: Strain it through a big jelly bag, or heat it up and then run it through the fine plate on a food mill, which removes the seeds. For example, one of the anthocyanins found in the berries has 3.5 times the antioxidant power of vitamin E (4, 15, 16, 17). Sub-Total Whether you are interested in planting elderberry to sustain your family farm, already have a commercial plot of elderberry and need destemming equipment, or even just looking for a way to incorporate natural medicine into your home garden. messy!). The most common type is Sambucus nigra, also known as European elderberry or black elderberry. The elderberries are gently crushed by the rubber rollers and then fall into the destemming chamber. Bring the elderberries to a boil, stirring often. Overall dimensions:47.6" long x 23.6" wide x 27.1" high. Berries fall through the holes into your bucket. The Crusher/Destemmer can be purchased by itself or alongside theStainless Stand & Chute. Well, yes. elderberry destemmer - Downsizer Projects. Elderberry flowers grow on large cymes and can be easily harvested by snipping the main stem and placing into a wide crate or bin. Elderberry refers to several different varieties of the Sambucus tree, which is a flowering plant belonging to the Adoxaceae family. How to grow, market and process American Elderberries Remove two quick bolts and the safety cover slides off and the internal stainless destemming grate slides out for easy cleaning. Note that most research has only been performed on commercial products. I think they would easily pass through 3/4" mesh, so that would need to be smaller gauge. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. When you work with elderberries in a large quantity, it is also helpful to return the just-stemmed, still-frozen elderberries to the freezer quickly. As some kind of screen to stop pulp flying about ? Merrilee Olson of Preserve Farm Kitchens discusses considerations for working with a co-packer at 23m 45s of the Understanding Opportunities for Elderberry Sales webinar, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Drying Fruits, 2023 Regents of the University of California. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. The developed system will optimize the destemmer, reduce exposure of farmers to hazard sanitizing solution and their labor intensity, and attract more farmers to grow elderberry and boost the elderberry industry. But if finer then it might clag up with both fruit and stalks. The University of Vermont Extension guide, Growing Elderberries, recommends dehydrators either home or commercial scale for drying, along with attributes to look for in dehydrating equipment. It is also best tofreeze elderberries before trying to de-stem them even if you plan to use them right away as it makes the process much easier. It is capable of several hundred pounds per hour and reduces your post-harvest labor. With Regenerative Practices Increase the biodiversity of your farm, create wildlife habitat, increase beneficial pollinators, slow run-off, build soil and create the health and wealth you have been looking for. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Last medically reviewed on March 8, 2021. Available through our retail company Elder Farms. Once they are frozen solid, they are quite easy to remove from the stems by hand. Farmer perspectives on making value-added products, and the role of elderberry on a diversified farm, Resources for making value-added products. However, another study in mice with high cholesterol found that a diet including black elderberry reduced the amount of cholesterol in the liver and aorta but not the blood (24). Sure, but the proportion of sugar to juice will be off, and I cant guarantee your results. It has many health benefits, and may help protect against several chronic conditions. The berries are gently destemmed and cleaned. I do stick mine in the freezer first it works for me, I got a big bagful off my mum's garden the other night and just shook them into a sink full of cold water, then ficked the rest off, all the good berries sank and the dried up manky and under ripe ones floated , along with the little stems , a spider and a chuggypig! The bark, unripe berries, and seeds contain small amounts of substances known as lectins, which can cause stomach problems if too much is eaten (2). This machine drastically decreases the time to prep the berries to wash and be packaged. Farmers can sell these processed products directly to consumers (for example at farmers markets) or to retail outlets. Have questions about the courses? The uncooked berries, leaves, bark, and roots of the elderberry plant contain the chemicals lectin and cyanide, which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Can you use honey or some other sweetener? But if finer then it might clag up with both fruit and stalks. Works so well you can get twice as much yield from your elderberries. The resulting levels are deemed safe to consume in normally accepted serving sizes for these products, as the human body has some natural capacity to break down a limited concentration of cyanide.2, Research on American elderberries conducted at the University of Missouri found only low levels of cyanide in fresh berries, and cyanide levels in juice & seeds were lower than those in stems & green berries. Maybe not, unless you acidify them with citric acid. So before using the berries, you need to remove them from their stems. Further large-scale studies are required to confirm these results and determine if elderberry may also play a role in preventing influenza (9). Cymes can be cut using clippers or a knife, or plucked by hand. Traditionally, Indigenous people used it to treat fever and rheumatism, while the ancient Egyptians used it to improve their complexions and heal burns. I also added citric acid for flavor and preservation, which might have also encouraged gelling. Home - Buehler Organics Prunes and prune juice have many health benefits. By Hank Shaw on August 4, 2011, Updated August 3, 2022 - 117 Comments. Generally, consuming it in the diet has only a small effect on antioxidant status (19). Elderberries are small & have a LOT of stem to fruit ratio, I'm not sure the destemming equipment that's designed for grapes would work very well on elderberries. Twice, you say? Uses for elderberry syrup include: The possibilities are pretty endless. Shove the bag of elderberry stems into the freezer. Stems get rotated through the basket by the destemming shaft until they exit at the end of the machine where they fall onto the ground or an awaiting bucket. Harvesting & Post-harvest Handling - California Elderberries - ucanr.edu Various parts of the elderberry tree have been used throughout history for medicinal and culinary purposes (2). From $8.99 to $79.99, EnoItalia Motorized Crusher Destemmer for Elderberries | Stainless Steel | Self-Adjusting Rubber Rollers | 110V. In addition, the processing of elderberries, such as extraction, heating, or juicing, can reduce their antioxidant activity (4). There are 3 mg of cyanide per 100 grams of fresh berries and 317 mg per 100 grams of fresh leaves. This model has been adapted specifically for processing elderberries, which have a smaller diameter than grapes. Growers who see a market for value-added products but do not wish to make the product themselves can contract with a co-packer, who will handle the processing and regulatory compliance. You will need to remove the berries from the stems; elderberry stems are toxic. While berries can be harvested when the white bloom develops, the flavor will generally be sweeter and more evenly ripened after the bloom fades. When the little berries are frozen hard I just whack the stems against the side of a bowl and they come off the stem right away. American Elderberry Products | River Hills Harvest Should You Produce Your Own Specialty Food Products? The flowers are often boiled with sugar to make a sweet syrup or infused into tea (1). Once the berries are completely frozen, they roughly massage the plastic bag, resulting in the frozen berries separating from the stem. The flowers are particularly rich in flavonols. Growing Elderberries: A Production Manual and Enterprise Viability Guide for Vermont and the Northeast, Elderberry Flower Production and Cyanide Concern, 2023 Regents of the University of California. Both processors and retailers express strong interest in California-grown elderberries, and 67% of elder processors surveyed said they did not find enough supply to meet their needs. The Stainless Steel Hand Destemming Tray allows you to hand destem . Services - Buehler Organics WVMJ Well-Known Member Joined Dec 9, 2012 Another elderberry syrup recipe may require you to add water to your boiling berries. Elderberry may have positive effects on some markers of heart and blood vessel health. Personally I'd open freeze them, put the whole lot in a big bag and roll them around a table top. Moreover, elderberry is a flavorful addition to a healthy diet and a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. Although labor intensive this method it does not require expensive, specialized equipment. Before placing the berries in the freezer, you need to follow a few steps. $0.00. Price From $200.00. HOW TO DE-STEM ELDERBERRIES | Elderberry Harvesting Hack Elderberry refers to several varieties of the Sambucus tree, which has clusters of white flowers and black or blue-black berries. WE249 Features: Elder Processing - California Elderberries Theres little information about the safety or efficacy of homemade remedies (9). Sign up to receive exclusive deals, tips and tricks, special coupons and much more Browse 1 question Destemming labor estimates were made by timing hand destemming of frozen berries. Ta dahhh! River Hills Harvest in Missouri has designed both a mechanized destemmer and a handheld destemmer. Any thoughts on my experiment are very welcome However, further research is needed to demonstrate if these effects are significant in humans. Increase the biodiversity of your farm, create wildlife habitat, increase beneficial pollinators, slow run-off, build soil and create the health and wealth you have been looking for. If I reduce the amount of sugar (1/4 cup sugar for 1 cup juice), and then use the water bath canning method to preserve the juice, will they still be shelf stable? The Pros and Cons of Elderberry - Healthline I also used a Mehu-Liisa steam juicer (got it a yard sale years ago and its one of my favorite food preservation tools). I've been wondering of the berries would bash off easily if you froze the heads? Perforated baskets can be purchased or made using steel or other materials to create a basket with holes the size of the berries. $4.99, Star San Sanitizer Moreover, its important to note that there is no standardized method for measuring the number of bioactive components like anthocyanins in these commercial products. If you will de-stem the elderberries the same day as freezing them, spread them out on a cookie sheet and freeze, uncovered for one to two hours. One 2004 study of 60 people with influenza found that those who took 15 mL of elderberry syrup four times per day showed symptom improvement in 2 to 4 days, while the control group took 7 to 8 days to improve (10). People have done it using a destemmer but they werent really concerned with lots of little stems when making a big batch. Thats fine, but I dont make elderberry syrup for that. You should have a little more than 1 quart. Reasonable evidence supports its use to help reduce the length and severity of flu symptoms. A mixer for cocktails. Most people use elderberry syrup as a sort of medicine, taking a spoonful a day or twice a day or somesuch. Harvesting, Processing & Marketing - California Elderberries - ucanr.edu How to Make Elderberry Syrup - Hunter Angler Gardener Cook Vickie: You dont need to for preservation, but I do add lemon or fruit fresh for flavor. Its dry here in Los Gatos. They experienced nausea, vomiting, weakness, dizziness, numbness, and stupor (36). If you are working with a very large haul of elderberries, you may find that they start to thaw out quicker than you can de-stem them. I hope you dont mind I reference you as a source in my recent post about it. The hose out the rest of the unit. It is also important to remove any pieces of dried stem or leaves that may inadvertently fall into the final product, as these contain a naturally occurring toxin, cyanogenic glycoside, which can cause health issues if consumed. I think it coul be good: I'll have a try with some berries later. Therefore, products like syrups, juices, teas, and jams may have reduced benefits compared to some results seen in laboratory studies (16). can see now why I have been demented with a fork. This is a toxin also found in apricot seeds and almonds (1, 34). One California farm in the Central Valley destems their elderberries by placing the entire cymes, immediately after harvest, into large plastic bags, then putting the bags into stacking crates inside a freezer. However, their protective effects on humans appear to be insignificant. Now, if you are using a food mill, set it up with its finest plate and pour the elderberries into it. Super good! Elderberries can be frozen either before or after destemming, and freezing can even be a part of the destemming process itself, since the firmer, frozen berries can better withstand destemming manipulations. 2) A Screw Feed in the Receiving Bin for continual, faster, hands-free operation Homemade soda base. Pour the juice through your finest mesh sieve to catch any stray seeds or pulp. I fished the yuck out with a sieve then let the water out (plughole has a strainer) there were only odd bits of stem left. and 1 answer. The flowers, fruits, and leaves of the elderberry plant are excellent sources of antioxidants.