Elderberries

Cubensis

Hello

Does anyone know where elderberries usually grow? I want to make elderberry extract for the flu, it is too dear in the shops (10euros for a small bottle). Also, is there anything that looks like elderberries that may be mistaken for them (dont want to pick the wrong berries!!!).

Thanks

Alun

Hedgerows and verges usually, they're not really big trees. They're pretty unmistakeable really, big bunches of small dark purple berries. Do a Google Images search on elderberries to see what they look like.

EDIT: I'm not too sure exactly when they ripen, but I'd hazard a guess that you might have to wait a few weeks yet, say towards the end of September at least, and it may depend on where you are in the country as well.

Diageio_Man

here's some info op that might help.

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about1089.html

Cubensis

Diageio_Man wrote: »

here's some info op that might help.

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about1089.html

Thanks for that link, very useful information there! I think i know what the elder tree looks like now, it is the tree I have been calling an alder for years! I found some near the house, but the berries arent ripe yet, hopefully I will have them in a few weeks. The bit about the extract being used for the bird flu is interesting, my sister used it for the swine flu so maybe it is good for all types of flu? I also read this "Old legends warn of sleeping under the elder, for fear you may never wake again". Maybe this is what happened to rip van winkle!

Diageio_Man

No probs Cubensis, there's nothing like doing a bit of foreging for berrys, picked a load of billberrys(huckleberrys) a few weeks ago up at lough bray lower in the dublin mountains and they were dam tasty, just like eating purple skittles ha ha, really good for getting the vitamin c levels up aswell.
http://www.globalherbalsupplies.com/herb_information/bilberry.htm

Connacht

Diag,
Isn't it the bilberry that grows in sometimes huge quantities at ankle / shin level on the boggy sides of mountains here in the wet west ? At around 200-400 m when climbing western mountains, you come through a 'bilberry zone'. But can they be eaten just like that, or do they also need cooking ?

Alun

Connacht wrote: »

Diag,
Isn't it the bilberry that grows in sometimes huge quantities at ankle / shin level on the boggy sides of mountains here in the wet west ? At around 200-400 m when climbing western mountains, you come through a 'bilberry zone'. But can they be eaten just like that, or do they also need cooking ?

That's them, otherwise known as fraughan in Irish, and they're not just in the west, plenty of them can be found pretty much anywhere where you get that kind of terrain, certainly in the Wicklow and Dublin mountains anyway.

You can eat them raw straight off the plant no problem as long as you don't mind your fingers, lips and tongue stained a bluish purple They can obviously also be collected and used in cooking too, but I don't have the patience myself.

Connacht

thanks

Diageio_Man

i like to go swimming in lough bray then collect a few berrys on my way back to the car you can make pie's with them alright, but i usually end up munching on them on my way home, think there fairly common in the areas you described connaght not only in the west.

Morganna

ilive in mayo and have them on my land bilberries also elder trees

katkin

Cubensis wrote: »

Hello

Does anyone know where elderberries usually grow? I want to make elderberry extract for the flu, it is too dear in the shops (10euros for a small bottle). Also, is there anything that looks like elderberries that may be mistaken for them (dont want to pick the wrong berries!!!).

Thanks

Hi there,

I'd like to make this, have you got a recipe and directions? Thanks.

Morganna

where are you base Katkin.i have lots of elder trees here .Which i would be willing to let you have berrys ,they have only just flowered ,

katkin

Thanks Morganna I'm in Clare but have loads of elder trees here, in flower as you say at the moment but would love to utilise the berries. Got a recipe for the extract by googling it, Cubensis doesn't have many posts so mightnt get a reply - would love to know how their efforts turned out. Thanks again:)

monitor 899

Hi im looking for a few elder trees in galway, im out in the west (furbo) but can drive
there are none I can find around here and really enjoy making cordials etc.
I am a conscientious wild food gatherer so will do no harm to the trees themselves. Thanks for your time in reading this. Laurence

CaptainAhab

The elder tree is best spotted when it is in flower (the creamy white flowers are coming out now). The best strategy I find is to make a note of where you see the bushes with plenty of flowers and return about the first week of september to check whether the berries are ready.

monitor 899

Hi ahab, thanks for the info, however I know what they look like its just that I need an area to find them.. theres very few trees here in furbo, connemara. Any tips much appreciated