What Do Elderberries Taste Like?

Varieties of Elderberry

• Three main varieties of elderberry grow within North America. European elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is also known as black elder or common elder. American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), also known as sweet elder or black elderberry, produces berries with a flavor slightly sweeter than those of European elder.

  The leaves, stems, bark and roots of the red-berried elder (Sambucus racemosa) are considered dangerous, as they contain cyanide-producing toxins; while the berries are deemed edible, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service warns that the berries of this elder may be toxic unless they are properly prepared.

Warnings

• Elderberries produce flat-topped white flower clusters that lead to bunches of reddish-purple to black berries, less than 1/4 inch in diameter. Elderberry plants are easily confused with toxic water hemlock (Cicuta mexicana), according to the University of Florida School of Forest Resources and Conservation, in part because they grow in the same habitats. The extension warns you shouldn't touch water hemlock.

  You can discern the difference by examining the stems and leaves. Elderberry has leaves oppositely arranged or paired at each node along the stem, while hemlock has alternate leaves -- single leaves appearing at each node along the stem and nodes occurring on one side of the stem, then the other. The stems of elderberry have white or light gray pith and emit a foul odor when crushed, while hemlock stems show hollow pith and purple stripes.

Flavor

• Most people consider elderberries too bland, bitter or astringent to eat as fresh, raw berries, but the berries develop a far better flavor, sweet and juicy, when processed for use in food and drink, so you should wash and cook your berries for best use. Sambucus canadensis flowers are also edible.

Harvesting

• You can raise elderberry plants in your garden or collect the wild fruits. Elderberries grow as small trees or shrubs, and many elderberry cultivars are available. Look for the berries near wetlands, wooded spots and low-lying areas where water may accumulate and around flood plains, near streams or canals. Mark the sites when you see the large inflorescences to make it easy to find the plants at the berry stage. You should wait for nearly all the berries in a cluster to ripen, then cut the cluster from the plant.

Problems

• According to the Mount Bethel Winery website, the difficult part of handling elderberries is separating the stem from the berry, as a waxy substance exudes from the stem. While the winery won't give up its secret method for processing the berries, the University of Missouri Extension suggests freezing the berries to remove them from the stems.