How to Make Elderberry Concentrate
Popular for their use in jellies and wines, the medicinal uses of elderberries have been touted for years by grandmothers and scientists alike. In fact, a 2001 study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information indicated that elderberries are effective in fighting influenza and boosting the immune system. Full of health-boosting antioxidants and flavinoids, ready-made elderberry concentrate is available at health food stores for a premium, but learning how to make elderberry concentrate at home may allow you to reap the healing benefits and delicious flavor at a fraction of the cost.
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Things You'll Need
- Elderberries
- Pressure cooker or pot
- Jelly bag
- Shallow pan
- Glass jars
- Honey
- Pot
- Storage containers
Instructions
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1
Wash berries, and remove the stems.
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2
Put the still-wet berries into a pressure cooker, and heat until the pressure indictor rises and stays elevated for 30 seconds to one minute. Turn off the pressure cooker. Alternatively, simmer the berries on the stovetop with just a little water covering them, crushing the berries as they cook.
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3
Place cooled elderberries into a jelly bag (a cone-shaped bag made of porous fabric, like cheesecloth or nylon, used to squeeze the juice from berries in jelly preparation). Place the bag in a shallow pan, and allow the juice to bleed out overnight.
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4
Cook the drained juice until it is reduced by about one third. The concentrated juice will still be thin. Another way to separate the concentrate from the excess water is to pour the juice drained from the jelly bag into glass jars and freeze overnight. Remove the jars from the freezer the next morning, and allow them to partially thaw, pouring off the concentrate (which will melt first) and leaving behind the ice.
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5
Add 1 cup of honey to each pint of concentrated elderberry juice to sweeten and help preserve the juice. Gently heat the mixture in a pot, and stir to blend. Commercially produced elderberry concentrate may have a sweeter, richer flavor, owing to the more liberal use of sweeteners, like corn syrup.
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6
Freeze the elderberry concentrate in glass or plastic containers. It may also be home canned.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Avoid squeezing the jelly bag to remove the excess juice. Doing so causes the berries to leave behind a sticky, green residue that ruins the bag and is difficult to clean from pans and utensils.
