Common Elderberry (Sambucas canadensis) makes an excellent nutritious jam, jelly or medicinal tincture that can boost your immune system.  This is a plant native to North America that can be easily propagated and planted in abundance for yourself and wildlife!

There are different methods at different times of year but the way that I do it is to make cuttings of the stems in winter. You want to cut stems the width of a crayola marker that have two sets of nodes. I make a sharp angled cut below the nodes to easily see which side is the bottom. These cuttings are placed in a bucket of water in a dark cool space until the roots begin to grow in two months. The water can be changed periodically.  Once the chance of frost is over they can be planted in a pot of soil or directly into fertile soil and full to partial sun to grow on their own. They may take three years to fully establish as they “sleep, creep & leap”!  Deer will nip the new growth so you may need to cage them or plant them within thorny multiflora rose, barberry or raspberry patches for best results. 

Once the plant has developed its root system and established, it will then go to flower late springtime to early summertime and produce berries at the end of summertime (in NJ). The berries are cherished by birds so plant extra to share and be alert to harvest what you need before the birds do. I cut the stems and drop them into a paper bag and then place it in the freezer. Once the berries are frozen they are easily removed from the stems with a fork so you don’t make a mess of stem bits and squished berries. The berries are antioxidant rich, high in vitamin C and iron.

The berries can then be simmered down and pressed through a cloth or strainer to remove the seeds. The berry juice is now available to be made into jams, jellies and gummies.

To make the tincture I don’t cook the berries but just place them in a jar and cover with 80% proof vodka. This is placed in a cool dark place for a few weeks and then strained so the berries are removed.

David Alexander is a professional outdoor guide and conservation biologist.  He enjoys making nature more accessible to people and wildlife.  You can follow him at www.natureintoaction.com