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VM

Freezing Elderberries for wine

Partner has made fruit wines in past years, from damsons and plums from allotment. He wants to try elderberry wine this year.

We've seen lots of elderberries in the hedgerows near home but they are at very different stages of ripeness - mostly not ripe but I've just seen one bush just down the road, in a nice patch of sun and look very glossy and ripe.

So can I pick them and freeze to make into wine later when have more - as I have done sometimes with blackberries for jelly?

And is this generally a bit early for elderberries?
VM

Having done a bit of Googling, I think it must be alright to freeze them, so I'm off out before it rains.
OtleyLad

Having done a bit of Googling, I think it must be alright to freeze them, so I'm off out before it rains.


Can't see it being a problem - it works well for other fruit.
You've inspired me to go for it too.
sgt.colon

And me. Very Happy
dpack

2kg of blackberries just went with 1kg that i started on tuesday,maybe not best practise but it works for small picks fairly close in time
gil

Freezing fruit for making wine is a good thing as it destroys some of the pectin that can cause a pectin haze (mostly in stone fruit like plums).

You're fine freezing small batches of elderberries till you have enough.
I would also recommend making a wine that is equal parts elderberry and bramble, as it will be less tannic and more drinkable sooner.

Think elderberries as cabernet sauvignon and blackberries as merlot....

Having said that, if you want to lay the wine down for years, elderberry can work well on its own. I have some awesome aged elderberry port-style that has matured really well.
jamanda

Agree with Gil. A mix of blackberries and elderberries is best. But this year there seems to be loads of blackberries, but the birds have eaten the elderberries as soon as they appear.
madcat

The freezing will burst them and help with juice extraction.
quixoticgeek

I freeze my elderberries every year, it helps with the extraction of the juice.

J
Went

I freeze my elderberries every year, it helps with the extraction of the juice.

J


Interesting website you have there quixotocgeek Very Happy quixoticgeek

I freeze my elderberries every year, it helps with the extraction of the juice.

J

Interesting website you have there quixotocgeek Very Happy


It's mostly there for my own notes, but if others find it useful, then even better.

I am going start some elderberry wines off shortly. I have 6lb of them in the freezer. 3lb will make me 3 gallons of the light elderberry, the other 3lb will make me 1 gallon of the strong elderberry. The light elderberry is a lovely wine and one I highly recommend people make, you only need 1lb of elderberries per gallon, which is a lot more reasonable amount to pick and destalk and it's ready to drink in 3 months, vs 2 years.

J chickenann

This was just the type of question I was going to ask... thanks all, I now have a Mission for next week.... mark

No problem with freezing fruit for wine - i often do it!

Mark bushcraftlife

I often pick them to add to blackberries for various things and freeze them with no problems at all.
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