Elderberry

About

Elderberries grow from elderflower blossoms into small black berries that are toxic raw, containing cyanogenic compounds that can cause nausea or worse, along with an unpleasant, urine-like raw aroma and high citric acid content. Cooking removes the unpleasant qualities and, like rhubarb, gooseberry and cranberry, elderberries need added sugar to taste good. Ripe berries are picked when nearly black and slightly soft, then stripped from their stems; dried berries are also used in cooking, sometimes preferred for baked goods like pies.

Pairs well with elderberry

• CiLemonLemon brightens elderberry's dark, heavy flavor much as it does with blueberry.
• WoAlmondThe combination tastes similar to cherry-brandy flavoring, which is traditionally produced by mixing bitter almond with raspberry and rose…
• SpCinnamonElderberry's key flavor compounds, damascenone (cooked apple) and 2-phenyl ethanol (honey-rose), both pair well with cinnamon, as in an…
• FrAppleElderberry and apple are a traditional pairing in jams and jellies, apple tempers elderberry's strong flavor and supplies extra pectin to…
• CiGingerFresh elderberries are sometimes added to gingerbread before baking, resembling currants in appearance.
• ChCheeseA tart, lightly sweetened elderberry preserve or jelly complements goat cheese well, and its deep, port-like flavor pairs even better with…
• FfHoneyHoney suits elderberry's wild, untamed character better than refined sugar does, and the two are often combined in a syrup.
• CrRaisinElderberries are used to make a dark "country wine" sometimes called elderberry port, since their acidity, tannin and color resemble those…
• FrPlumPlum's bitter-almond notes should in theory complement elderberry, but ripe, flavorful plums are hard to find, so cooks more often use…
• GrFennelThe mild fennel-like note in dried elderflowers becomes a fuller licorice flavor in the dried berries.
• EaRyeElderberry pairs better with whisky than with vodka.
• SpAllspiceThe two combine in Pontack sauce, a traditional English condiment: elderberries are cooked in apple cider vinegar, strained, then simmered…
• BeGooseberryCooked together, elderberry and gooseberry approximate the flavor of black currant, or of the jostaberry, a hybrid of black currant and…
• FfElderflowerElderflower lightens elderberry's heavier flavor and adds floral perfume, similar to how orange flower water lifts orange juice in…