Make the most of dark, fragrant elderberries while they’re in season. Cooking with elderberries can get messy but it’s worth it - they’re full of health-giving properties and have been used medicinally for centuries. Here's one of the simplest recipes...
Method
Carefully separate your elderberries from their stalks with a fork or your hands
Chop up a little ginger into small pieces
Put the elderberries and chopped ginger into a pan and cover them with water
Bring to the boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly
Pour the mixture through a jelly bag or muslin (fine cloth) and allow the juice to drip through. Extract as much liquid as possible
Pour the elderberry liquid into a measuring jug, and measure how much you have. Now add equal parts sugar to the liquid mixture - so if you measured 500ml of juice, add 500g of sugar, or if you have 1 litre of liquid, add 1 kilo of sugar
Add the sugar and a little ground cinnamon or cinnamon stick to the strained liquid. Simmer for five minutes and then cool and pour into sterilised bottles.
