Made some jam agam, erm, jelly, that is;-). I started to prepare the elderberries by stripping them with a fork. An old neighbour of mine who runs a restaurant showed me that trick. It makes the job for this impatient guy here almost bearable. I sorted out the dry and the green ones (They contain a huge amount of Cumarine and might interfer with Phenprocumon medicaments against bloodclotting, please consult your doctor before you make elderberry jam).
Some result after five minutes work...
Bad photo of the rowanberries. The photo of the sloe was even worse, so no sloe, woe is me;-). It´s crucial that you deep - freeze them before using them. Alternatively you can let them rest in a vinegar / water emulsion for three days to take out the bitter taste.
Take:
500 g elderberries,
500 g pectinous sugar or honey,
100g sloe (one handful)
100g rowan berries (one handful)
Cook elderberries in their own juice for about five minutes on a low heat. Add the pectinous sugar. Add the rowan berries and the sloe. Cook on a low heat for about half an hour, while constantly stirring. Then squash the berries to a thick mousse. Strain everything through a sieve. If you are the type, you can add a shot or two of fruit schnapps or rum before
filling in sterile vacuum jars. Those I had at hand were not working properly, so I added a sheet of cellophane, a tip from my old mother, but without turning them upside-down. We´ll see how it works... I am a bit sceptical....
The jelly tastes great in my opinion due to the sweet elderberries and the somewhat tartly rowan and sloe. Might not be to everyone´s liking, though.
Fantastic!! What a great recipe. Elderberry is one of my favourites but they're not quite ripe over here just yet, maybe another 2 or 3 weeks and it will be jam time again!! Thankyou.
AntwortenLöschenAnytime I go to Amish country, I bring back a tiny jar of Elderberry jelly for a former instructor of mine. It reminds her of two old maiden aunts from her childhood who made the treat each year.
AntwortenLöschen@buzzard: No bother;-) it´s just giving and taking!;-)I learn so much from you and look forward to your recipes every time I read something!
AntwortenLöschen@gorges:Those are some of the best treats, that remind us of happy moments and give new ones. And those are gifts from the heart! The Amish are a fascinating community, and I hold them in high esteem for giving an alternative and showing that it´s not necessarily righteous, how our society is composed.... thanks for sharing.