elderberry juice concentrate

 It's elderberry season!  I collected a couple of tubs worth, cleaning some right away and washing others and freezing them to clean.  I was told it was easier to process the berries if they were frozen but honestly I found it more difficult to pick the stems clean.  If I can process fresh, it's easiest for me.  

As I processed them, I frozen them.  Today I took out a gallon bag and a quart bag or two.  Put into a big pot on low heat to thaw the berries; then I turned up the heat and brought it to boil, reduced heat to a simmer for at least 10 minutes.  

While this was happening, I prepared jars and lids.  

I strained the juice through a sieve and then put into jars.  I added about 1 tsp. of lemon jice to each 8 oz jar.  Then I water bathed the jars for 10 minutes.  From this batch I got two 8 oz jars and four 4 oz jars.  

I'll use this juice concentrate when I or friends are ill; I will add it to an oxymel or add 1 tsp to tea or water to drink as juice. 

elderberry liqueur

Recipe for elderberry liqueur from here. 

In a quart jar:

- 2 cups fresh cleaned elderberries (no stems, etc.)

- 3 one-inch pieces of lemon rind (no white pith)

- fill up the jar with vodka

Leave it in a dark cupboard for a few months.  Gently shake it occasionally.

When it's dark enough, strain out the berries.  

Add 1/4-1/3 cup sugar (to taste) and let it sit a few more days for sugar to fully dissolve.

*I think that I'll add honey instead of sugar, and next time I'll try it with bourbon. 

Spanish needles - bidens alba

 You know those little white daisy looking flowers with the needles that stick in your socks and clothes?  They took over my front yard while I was gone, and I was yanking them out like crazy ... and then I noticed how the bees love them so I asked and learned what they are and did a little digging around and this site especially is helpful.

Here's the recipe I plan to make soon (as a friend just brought me some fish he caught) that I nabbed from the comments on that site:

Place piece of fish on foil.

Wash a big handful of fresh, washed greens and put them right on top of the fish. (don’t forget spices and butter, etc. on it all) 

Close up the foil, poke a few wee holes in the top and bake for around 15 minutes at 400 degrees (depends on thickness of fish, if frozen, etc.)

Another thing I plan to do is make a pot of cooked greens from them, perhaps with some salt pork or hamhock or something tasty. 

dandelion quick bread

Go out and harvest a couple cups worth of dandelion heads.  Pull the petals away from the green stuff.  Wash (if necessary) and strain and let them dry a bit.  Then make this recipe from here.

(Note: I tried it and it was a total mess, wouldn't bake through at all.  I may have halved the flour accidentally, and my oven may not be working. It will be worth trying again next year.)

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dandelion petals (or more)
1/4 cup canola oil
4 tbsp honey (or less)
1 egg
scant 1 1/2 cups milk (and/or yogurt)

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, including petals, and mix. Make sure to separate clumps of petals. In separate bowl mix together milk, honey, oil, and beat in egg. Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir. Batter should be fairly wet and lumpy. Pour into buttered bread tin or muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees. A dozen muffins will take 20-25 minutes. Bread will take 25-30 or more minutes. At 25 minutes, check doneness of bread with a toothpick. If still too moist inside, lower oven temperature and continue to bake, checking every five minutes.