Elderberries are one of the most trending fruits in North America and the rest of the world. Raw elderberries and elderberry extract has been largely utilized during the flu season, appearing as one of the best ways to treat influenza as a natural remedy.
Late spring and late summer are the elderberry seasons, and if you ever had the opportunity to try fresh elderberries, surely you want to try to eat them again. In the vast majority of cases, Black elderberries cannot be found in most grocery stores, and the only solution to eat them is the one of taken them from elderberry plants.
The benefits of elderberries are multiple; in fact, it has been relieved that they are rich in vitamin c, improve the immune system and help alleviate flu symptoms. Before starting to consume black elderberry or other types of raw berries, it is very important to know all the side effects associated and evaluate the best method to eat elderberry.
How to eat elderberries? Elderberries can be consumed in different ways. The most common ways of eating elderberries are by preparing elderberry juice, elderberry tea, elderberry jam, ice cream, elderberry wine, or adopting the easiest way by consuming them raw.
Anyway, it is important to underline that wild elderberries, unripe elderberries, elderberry flowers are not safe to consume if not properly cooked. They may contain glycosides that release a toxic substance called cyanide.
Although the first part of the article has given you a good understanding of how to eat elderberry, there are a lot of culinary uses associated with this dark purple berry that need to be analyzed deeper, so let’s dive in.
How do you prepare elderberries to eat?
Having fresh berries at home is a great way to start the day in the best manner. The next step to making your days still better is consuming elderberries safely.
The step to prepare elderberries to eat are:
Step 1: Place your blue elderberries in a bowl
Depending on how much elderberry you have, you might need to use a large bowl. By inserting elderberries in the bowl, you have to be sure that there will be no green elderberries or unripe elderberries because they are toxic.
Step 2: Understand the future uses
Once you have separated them properly by letting only the elderberries that has a dark color, you have 2 choice Consuming them immediately or if they are a lot, it could be a good idea to freeze them.
Step 3: freeze elderberries properly
You have to follow no particular procedure for freezing elderberries; you have to simply put them in bowl and then insert them in the freezer. By freezing the elderberries, you might quite sure that they will be lasting for the next 3 months.
How to eat elderberry syrup
There are many elderberry syrup recipes out there, and the final results that you want to achieve will depend on the form of syrups you would like to prepare.
One of the most traditional ways of preparing elderberry syrup is by inserting the elderberries into a pot with water sugar. Depending on your preferences, you might add some other spices.
Next, you have to cook them together until the final result is viscous. Once done, the syrup base of elderberry can be used when you feel flu-like symptoms, taking advantage of all the anti-viral properties associated with its consumption.
How to eat elderberry seeds
The safest way to eat elderberry seeds is by cooking them. Uncooked elderberries seeds contain a harmful substance called glycosides. For that reason, it will be best to cook elderberries and systematic review with high attention that the not uncooked berries have remained.
How to eat elderberry jelly
Elderberry jelly is another popular variant of consuming elderberry. There are different recipes online describing various ways of preparing elderberry products. It is a great choice to eat elderberry jelly to differentiate from the traditional taste we usually consume.
The most famous recipe related to elderberry jelly is the one that utilizes 3 main ingredients: lemon juice, elderberry juice and sugar.
You can eat elderberry jelly by pairing it with a slice of bread or yoghurts; it will all depend on your preference; there aren’t any restrictions regarding the use of elderberry jelly.
Is elderberry jelly safe to eat?
Yes, according to different studies conducted on elderberries, it has been relieved that elderberry jelly elderberry syrups help the immune function and boost the antiviral properties.
How to make elderberries safe to eat
To make the elderberry safe to eat after being harvested, you have to remove the elderberry stems, wash them properly, and cook. This process is mainly done to remove the glycosides, a harmful substance found in the elderberry fruit.
How to eat dried elderberry
One of the most popular ways of consuming fruits that cannot be eaten fresh is to dry it. Same story as soon as we start to speak about elderberries.
Dried elderberry can be added to different sweets, such as muffin pancakes, or used in a topping of cakes. In addition, dried elderberries may be utilized to prepare tea by adding raw honey or simply being prepared without any further ingredients.
Can you eat elderberry raw?
Eating elderberry raw could cause a risk of diarrhea due to a toxic substance present on the seeds of elderberries called glycosides. Elderberries are mainly consumed cooked to avoid getting some side effects.
What are other ways to eat elderberry fruit?
The benefits of elderberry are many, as mentioned in the early part of the article. But if the way of preparing and consuming the elderberries has not yet satisfied you, there is one more way to be used for eating elderberries.
You can prepare elderberry vinegar.
Elderberry vinegar can be consumed with different dishes, especially in salads, as sauces enrichment and a good substitute for the most common typology of sauces that we are accustomed to consuming.
Elderberry gin ( Another different way to consume elderberry)
If you like to experiment; there is one more recipe that you might try. Elderberry gin is a good beverage, especially if you like to prepare liquor and other alcoholic beverages at home. Thanks to its sweetest and delicate taste, elderberry gin will be a good pairing for cockatiels.
Conclusion
Depending on where you live, you might come across different elderberry varieties that may differentiate from deep purple to black berries. Although the colour difference may change the fruits’ exterior appearance, the elderberry’s health benefits associated with its consumption will always remain high.