Help!! overflowing elderberry bushes!

[Therese]

I have a question about harvesting - how long can they be on the bush before they loose their properties or get to the point they can't be harvested any more?

I planted elderberry bushes 2 years ago, and they are full of berries right now. But due to health situation which has been debilitating, and being gone for a while on vacation, I am wondering if I have waited too long to harvest them.

If they are still harvestable, what is the best way - by cutting the clusters off and hanging to dry? Do I need to get the berries off the stems right away?

I intended to make my own elderberry concoctions. :)

HELP

[goatlady]

I always figures as long as the berries were still hangin on in the bunch there are perfectally fine to use for anything you choose. I personally jsut use scissors to cut the whole bunch, drop in bags and thros in the freezer until I ahve time to do something with them. They are sooo much easier to strip off the steems when they are still frozen, they don'T squich and stain stuff! Make pies, cobblers, muffins. Jelly and tincture.

[Therese]

I always figures as long as the berries were still hangin on in the bunch there are perfectally fine to use for anything you choose. I personally jsut use scissors to cut the whole bunch, drop in bags and thros in the freezer until I ahve time to do something with them. They are sooo much easier to strip off the steems when they are still frozen, they don'T squich and stain stuff! Make pies, cobblers, muffins. Jelly and tincture.

Thank you goatlady. Guess what I will be doing this weekend!

Do you bother to rinse them off before freezing when you do this, or just throw them in the freezer and worry about that later?

[FrmlyZ]

I have planted commercial berries. I have so many wild ones here that I don't bother with the commerical ones. I would recommend removing the berries before freezing. The green parts are toxic. Just a guess.

Best Wishes,,,,,,,


Z

[LizB]

Reminds me, I need to go buy some vodka to tincture the herbs I mail ordered from herbalcom.

Feels funny to walk out of a store with a gallon or so of vodka when I don't drink more alcohol than a glass or two of wine per week. I know, "she's in denial." :)

[goatlady]

Hey Liz, try walking out with a CASE!

Therese, no I don't rinse them, that just makes them stick together when frozen. I have found from experience that the frozen berries come off the stems much better with almost no stem attached whereas the fresh berries always seem to have that tiny stem attached. No big deal if you have a FEW stems go through the tincture.