NOTE: Elderberries must never be eaten raw. All parts of the plant contain the toxin hydrocyanic acid which is destroyed by cooking. Red elderberry (S. pubens) is considered poisonous and should not be used at all since cooking does not destroy enough of the toxin.

Elderberry Chutney

Version 1 Ingredients
2 lb elderberries 1 large onion 1 pint vinegar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground ginger 2 tbsp sugar 1/8 tsp cayenne 1 tbsp pickling spices 1 tsp mustard seed

Weigh and wash berries and put into a pan. Bruise them with a wooden spoon. Chop the onion and add with the rest of the ingredients and the vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer till it becomes thick. Stir well, being careful not to let it burn as it thickens (a crockpot will also do nicely). Put into jars and cover.

Rub 1½ lbs berries through a sieve. Pound 1 onion. Place berries, onion, 6 cloves, ¼ oz ground ginger, 2 oz sugar, 3 oz raisins, a dust of cayenne and mace, 1 tsp salt and ½ pint of vinegar into a pot. Boil for 10 minutes. Take the pan from the fire and let it stand till cold. Put chutney into jars and cork securely.

Elderberry Jam

Version 1 Ingredients
4 cups crushed elderberries 3 cups sugar 3 oz liquid pectin

Cook crushed berries at moderate heat for 15 minutes and then strain through a food mill, removing the seeds. Place sauce into a saucepan and add sugar. Mix thoroughly. Cook till sugar completely dissolves. Add pectin and bring to a full boil for 1 minute. Skim off foam and pour into hot sterile jelly jars and seal.

Elderberry Jelly

Ingredients
3 lbs elderberries ½ cup lemon juice 6 cups sugar 6 oz liquid pectin

Wash and stem fruit. Place in a saucepan and crush. Place over a moderate heat and cook for 15 minutes. Strain through a jelly bag and recover 3 cups of juice. Place into a saucepan and add lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Add sugar and bring to a boil till the sugar is completely dissolved. Add pectin and bring to a boil for 1 full minute while stirring constantly. Skim off foam and pour into hot, sterile jelly jars. Seal.

Elderberry-Apple Jelly

Ingredients
2 quarts elderberries 4 medium cooking apples 2 quarts of water 1 cup of sugar per cup of juice 1 tbsp lemon juice

Crush the cleaned and stemmed berries in a deep saucepan. Cut apples into quarters and add to berries. Mash with a potato masher. Add water and simmer for 20 minutes while stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Strain through a jelly bag and add the sugar per each cup of juice as directed. Stir in lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil for 1 full minute. Lower heat an cook till the sauce sheets . Pour into hot, sterile jelly jars and seal.

Elderberry Ketchup

Ingredients
1 pint elderberries 1 oz shallots 1 blade mace ½ oz peppercorns 1½ oz whole ginger 1 pint vinegar

Pick fully ripe berries and weigh and wash them. Put them into an unglazed crock or jar and pour over them the boiling vinegar. Leave all night in a cool oven. Next day, strain the liquor from the berries through muslin or a jelly bag. Place liquid in a pan with the peeled and minced shallots, the peeled ginger (cut up small), the mace and peppercorns. Boil for 10 minutes, then put into bottles, dividing the spices among the bottles. Cork well.

Mock Capers

Slightly underripe elderberries may be preserved in brine and used as a substitute for capers.