How to Make Elderberry Jelly

Elderberry is not just a tasty fruit. It is full of different kinds of nutrients like amino acids, various vitamins, sugar, rutin and flavonoids. Due to these nutrients present in elderberry, it is used to treat a lot of illnesses like influenza, fever, yeast infections, chest congestion etc.

Apart from the illness curing qualities, it is also rich in anti-oxidants. It is commonly used to make tea, juice, wine and jelly. Elderberry jelly can be used in cakes and in meat as a substitute for cranberries.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds Fresh Elderberries
• 1 gallon Water
• Sugar
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice

Procedure

• Clean the elderberries thoroughly and remove the stalks, if any.

• In a heavy pan, put in the elderberries. Bring it to a boil, and then cook them on low heat for about half an hour.
• Check the berries. If the berries have turned into a soft pulp, mash the berries with the help of a spatula and continue cooking for a few minutes.

• Once the berries are completely cooked, remove from heat & pour them on a muslin cloth. Tie the cloth & hang the cooked elderberries. Keep a bowl beneath the cloth in order to collect all the juice from the muslin. Allow the juice to drip overnight. Do not attempt to squeeze the juice, as the fruit particles may ooze out of the cloth & make the jelly cloudy.

• The next morning, measure the amount of juice collected in the bowl. Add about a pound of sugar for every pint of juice.

• Boil this mixture of juice and sugar in another pan for about 10 - 15 minutes, then add lemon juice. After 10 minutes, pour some jelly onto a plate and see if the surface starts to set. If the surface sets, then the jelly is ready. However, if the surface does not set, then continue to cook the jelly for 5 more minutes.

• Repeat the test after 5 minutes. The jelly should be ready.
• Pour the mixture into warm containers and seal them immediately.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds Ripe Elderberries
• ¼ cup Lemon Juice
• A packet of Pectin
• 5 cups White Sugar
• ¼ tsp Butter

Procedure

• Select the blue or black elderberries and discard any green elderberries.

• Elderberries might have some stems and stalks. Ensure that you remove them thoroughly and then wash them clean.
• Take a large pot and put in all the berries. Crush the berries to remove the juice.

• Start heating the pot and continue to crush the berries till all the berries are thoroughly crushed.
• Let the mixture boil and once it starts boiling, lower the heat and allow the mixture to cook for further 10 minutes.

• Once it is thoroughly cooked, remove from heat and set aside.
• Take a cheesecloth and pour this mixture onto it. Tie it properly and allow the juice to strain into a bowl overnight.
• Measure the juice and pour it in a pan. Add the pectin, according to the instructions on the packet and also add the lemon juice.

• Bring all this to a boil and stir in the sugar and the butter. Allow the mixture to boil again.
• When the mixture boils again, remove from heat and pour in the jars. Close the lids immediately.
• Remember to sterilize the jars and the lids before you start with the process of storing the elderberry jelly.

Use any one of the above recipes for elderberry jelly, as it is easy to make and can be stored for a long period of time. Use this jelly in your recipes to make them more tasty.