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Friday, September 07, 2007

Autumn fruits


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Elderberries and haws.
Elderberries make fantastic wine. Folklore says that you should ask the tree first before picking the fruit. The Elder also supposedly has connections to witches. The haws really are just winter food for the birds, I dont know of any other use for them. Do you ?

7 comments:

  1. I've made elderberry vinegar before, when I lived in a area where elderberries grew. It was lovely to use in my cooking.

    I will always ask the tree for permission and give thanks to the tree as well when/if I every pick elderberries again (and other fruits as well).

    You were quite right in your comments on my blog today and now I have posted the whole object of which only the bottom was shown before.

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  2. There were old boys from my childhood in the sixties that I remember who would not cut down an elder for fear of the trouble it might bring.
    To this day I still feel a frisson of unease when I hack one to pieces.
    Mind you I am pretty haphazzard with an axe. :-)

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  3. Oh my Elderberry wine...Remember Arcenic and Old Lace...Don't take a glass of elerberry wine from an old woman.

    I've never seen them growing! Nice.

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  4. Haws apparently are rich in Vitamin C. I don't know how you extract it - boiling possibly or fermenting? I remember Rose Hip syrup as a child for warding off colds and in school we always learned about hips and haws because they tend to grow together in hedgerows.

    Found this:- Hips harvested in the summer, when vitamin C content is at its highest, can be made into syrup by mincing, stewing and then (VERY IMPORTANTLY!) straining them through a jellybag, to remove the highly irritant seeds and fibres. The final stage involves boiling with sugar and reducing to a syrup. here:- Seasonal berries

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  5. I'd gladly send you some of the 100 degree Fahrenheit weather we have had for over a month. And I'd take you cool and moist days in return. Right now, here, it's hot and moist.

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  6. My grandmother used to make elderberry jam, but I've never heard of 'haw' berries. I'll have to research whether we have them in this area.

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  7. Are those 'haws' from the Hawthorn Tree? If so, an infusion can be made by steeping 2 teaspoonful of the berries in boiling water and left to steep for twenty minutes. Tinctures can also be made.

    Hawthorn berries are one of the best tonic recipes for the heart and circulatory system. They're also full of flavonoids, ascorbic acid and tannins.

    I have an Elderberry Tree growing right outside my office window, and I'm always thankful for her protection...I did not plant her, she found her own way there, and that's where she'll stay, lol!

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As you have taken the time to read my blog and comment then whenever possible I will always reply. Thank you. Dave