Question about Elderberry wine

[gedion]

Hi all, I don't have much experience in winemaking, but I recently found a patch of elderberries and wanted to give it a go but I have a concern in regard to making wine with these. I was wondering how the wine process deals with the cyanide-inducing glycosides found in the berries. Heating is said to remove these glycosides, but every recipe I find for elderberry wine either only heats the water sugar mixture or nothing at all. Does fermentation itself somehow eliminate the toxicity, or is it a good idea to heat/boil the juice before fermentation?

Cheers!

 

[elfred]

I think you're fine. I've not heated the berries and had no problems, not even the tounge tingling of eating the berries

 

[Blacksmith1]

Just don't add arsenic and old lace

 

[Scientific hippie]

I think the fermentation takes care of it. Lucky you! I'm growing them; I hope I have enough for a few gallons this fall.

 

[bernardsmith]

Never had any success in growing elderberry from cuttings. How are you growing them?

 

[Scientific hippie]

My ornamentals were plants from Proven Winners. My Marge were just from cuttings I sent away for. They like sun; they're not too fussy about soil.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Hi all, I don't have much experience in winemaking, but I recently found a patch of elderberries and wanted to give it a go but I have a concern in regard to making wine with these. I was wondering how the wine process deals with the cyanide-inducing glycosides found in the berries. Heating is said to remove these glycosides, but every recipe I find for elderberry wine either only heats the water sugar mixture or nothing at all. Does fermentation itself somehow eliminate the toxicity, or is it a good idea to heat/boil the juice before fermentation?

Cheers!

I steam juice elderberries. I've made jelly, wine & mead with the juice, never had any issues.
Regards, GF.

 

[bernardsmith]

My ornamentals were plants from Proven Winners. My Marge were just from cuttings I sent away for. They like sun; they're not too fussy about soil.

I got some cuttings (twice) from a friend but neither time was I able to cultivate them. I thought that perhaps the soil we have (quite clayey) was the problem, but you suggest that that is not the issue... and the cuttings were planted in full sun... I may have to go to a nursery and see what they have. Thanks

 

[Seamonkey84]

Were the cutting fully rooted already when you got them? How big were they?

 

[bernardsmith]

They had some roots but "fully rooted"...that , I cannot say. Oh, and they were about 12 inches long

 

[Scientific hippie]

I have seen a video showing that to successfully root, cuttings simply need two nodes on them. I may just be luck. My elderberries are growing like wildfire, while some of my spicebushes are dying. It's gardening; it's a crapshoot.