by Francis Jock

Created on: July 30, 2010

Finding an elderberry bush was a real treat in earlier times. Not only were elderberries treasured for their sweetness and unique flavor, they were favored for making tasty jams, jellies and pie. Making elderberry wine was another popular use for this tasty summertime treat.

Making ones own special wines were was considered by some families as a tradition to be proud of. Wines were made from almost any and every fruit or vegetable available. In some celebrated traditions, specially made wines were considered the distinguishing mark of the successful family. There are plenty of good wine recipe books and articles available for reference, however, the following recipe for elderberry wine is borrowed from a tattered old herbal medicine book that once belonged to a family elder, long since passed.

Here is an old-style recipe for making your own special treat of elderberry wine.

To begin, you'll need to harvest one gallon of elderberries.

You'll need a medium sized crock or some other suitable container to make the mash.

Add two quarts of cold water and two pounds of sugar.

Now, mash the ingredients thoroughly, stir to mix well to dissolve the sugar.
Cover with a cloth and leave the mixture in a warm place for four days.

After four days have passed, drain the mixture and squeeze the juice out of the elderberries.

Return the liquid to the crock and let it stand eight days longer.

After the eight days have passed, drain and strain the liquid again. Pour the liquid into a keg or jug and store the container in the cellar for one year.

After the year has passed, your elderberry wine is finished.

If you desire to improve the flavor of the wine, try adding a bit (pinch) of clove and all-spice in a sachet for a few hours.

If you prefer the modern preparation method, just run the elderberries through an electric blender, food processor or juicer. This process is suggested in the book Wines and Beers of Old New England, 1978, to which I would suggest that there is great value to be found in a decent wine-making kit.

Next, pour one quart of boiling water over the berries, stir and let cool.

Boil together three pints of water and one pound of sugar. Let the syrup cool down and then add it to the berries, along with a half cup of lemon juice and a tablespoon of yeast.

Transfer to a crock or jug, let ferment for seven days, then strain out the pulp. Boil another pound of sugar in one pint of water, let cool, and add to the strained ferment. Let this ferment for another ten days.

After ten days, boil another pound of sugar in a pint of water, let cool, and add to the crock. Let this ferment to completion, then transfer to bottles and store for at least six months before tasting.

Making elderberry wine is an old-time tradition, and one best appreciated after a rather long wait.

Reference: Brown, Sanford C. (1978). Wine and Beers of Old New England. New Hampshire:  University Press of New England.

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