Elderberry Recipes

A tip from Tom Thompson Keys:

A useful tip to eliminate excess acidity in elderberries is as stripping into sulfited water, those that float or just below surface are ripe and best to use, those on bottom, are unripe, that's why I say pick plenty, as you may have to discard 50%. Excessive tanin is removed by putting washed, whole berries in saucepan, heat very slowly, with just enough water to cover, stirring all the while, just as boiling point is reached, remove from heat, strain berries discarding liquor, put berries back in saucepan, crush/pulp add 2 pints water, already boiled, heat up stirring, strain onto sugar , in primary bucket, repeating 3 times, you,in so doing, extract all the colour, and are left with only the pips and a pale skin residue.