Elderberries - toxicity

[Blundstoned Love]

Hi

I gathered a load of elderberries recently and stuck them in some vodka.

Then I was reading about their toxicity and that they should be cooked before eaten.

Will steeping in vodka have the same nullifying effect, or have I just created poisonous vodka?

 

[wingstoo]

Never caused us a problem, just steeped them for a few months and had some very syrupy Vodka that needed thinning with Lemonade to make it less of a liqueur.

 

[wingstoo]

Also... Elderberry Rob is good for you, so keep some to help with the winter ills...

http://www.handmadeapothecary.co.uk/elderberry-rob-syrup/

 

[Laurentius]

I have been making elderberry wine on and off since I was a youth and I am still here. I have a gallon on the go right now, not 'arf so scary as those apple pips and cherry pits eh?

 

[pieinthesky]

I made some elderberry vodka (or gin) cannot remember which. I cannot remember much to be honest but we drank it all with no ill effect. Apart from the memory loss of course.

 

[Janne]

Zero toxicity if you have picked ripe berries from the European Elder. Do not know the other varieties.

They improve if you freeze them first, if you want to make syrup or jelly.

Next spring, when they bloom, try picking the flowers and mix in crepe batter. Delicious!

 

[Janne]

In Sweden we do the same as you, infuse Vodka ( brännvin) with Elder. Traditional hangover inducing medicine.

 

[starsailor]

It's one of those slightly vague toxicity/poison things - too many of the raw berries will indeed make you ill, but not in a drop-down-dead sort of way; I think yout vodka should be ok, you're not going to eat the berries. Big fan of elder rob here.

 

[John Fenna]

Vodka - alcohol - is a poison too.....

 

[Toddy]

Raw berries cause some people problems. It's only some people though, and it's generally mild tummy upset, and it appears to be dependent upon whether or not they were eaten as a child or not. I'm told that eating them again, in very small quantities, even if they did originally give you a tummy upset, rarely causes any grief from then on.
If you haven't eaten fresh ones before, only a few and make sure they're ripe, is probably the best advice.

Thing is though, elders are like apples, every tree is slightly different. The tree I pluck for the flowers (for fritters, to dry for tea, to make syrup) is not the tree that I gather berries from. The berry tree smells like a tomcat while the flourish tree has almost tasteless berries

Cooked, boiled up for syrup, or steeped in alcohol, seems to be palatable for most folks

M

 

[Nomad64]

Raw berries cause some people problems. It's only some people though, and it's generally mild tummy upset, and it appears to be dependent upon whether or not they were eaten as a child or not. I'm told that eating them again, in very small quantities, even if they did originally give you a tummy upset, rarely causes any grief from then on.
If you haven't eaten fresh ones before, only a few and make sure they're ripe, is probably the best advice.

.....

+1 Some very vivid memories of the results of eating (too many?) raw elderberries as a kid - colourful but not pretty!

I've not been tempted to repeat the berry experience but elderflower tempura/fritters, cordial and even the raw flowers are delicious.

 

[Samon]

Never heard the berries being toxic. I've eaten them over the years, aside from the runs no issues. Oh and they taste rank lol.

I heard the leaves were toxic but I guess that's likely to be a wives tale like most things..?

 

[Toddy]

No, the leaves are not good, definitely not.
Good against insects sometimes though.

M

 

[bikething]

No, the leaves are not good, definitely not.
Good against insects sometimes though.

M

to smoke the insects out? or batter them over the head with a branch full? :twak:

 

[Toddy]

Nah, you grab a handful and scrunch them up and tuck them into your hatband or rub them over your skin.
Stinks, mind you.
Better off with bog myrtle

M

 

[oldtimer]

I tried raw elderberries when I was 7 I also tried soap once when I was 3. I still remember the taste of both. I can't imagine why anyone would try either more than once. The taste of unripe olives straight off the tree is in the same league of long lasting nastiness, but I was 73 at the time!

However, elderberry wine, apple and elderberry jam, elderberry chutney etc. tasted as often as possible. The vodka/gin trick is new to me. May make a change from using sloes. Interesting to compare.

 

[Janne]

Bog myrtle is another traditional Swedish vodka flavouring.
Also used in mead making, brings a little bit of bitterness.
The part that is used is the buds.

Better off with bog myrtle

M

 

[Toddy]

There's a traditional anti midge wipe stuff. It's made using melissa (lemon balm) mugwort and myrica gale (bog myrtle)
I once tinctured bog myrtle to add to my mix, but I took it along to a meet up to show folks. Grooveski went down in the annals of the Scottish bushcrafters because he didn't quite pick up that my tincture was meant as a lotion not a potion, and duly swigged some of it …he could still taste it the next day, and that was after copious amounts of uisge beatha.

M

 

[Janne]

Bet you the midgets steered away from him though!



In Sweden there is a huge 'thing' to flavor your vodka.
I say vodka, but it is a simpler alcohol called brannvin.
I think the custom stems from the old days when everybody made their own, which tasted foul. A good way to hide the nastiness, and tell the wife it has medicinal properties!

It used to be a custom to have a large shot with every meal, including breakfast.

 

[richardhomer]

I have some elder berry Gin steeping now. Its the first time I have ever tried to make any so I'm looking forward to see how it tunes out at Christmas.
I also have a Jar of Damson Gin steeping. With both it work's out to having two liters worth on Gin on the go so I hope its all drinkable !

Still looking forward to trying both and seeing which one has worked best.