Elderberry jam

14 September 202114 September 20210 10

30 minutes

25-30 minutes

Easy

1.	Begin by putting a plate in the freezer. This will help you test when the jam is ready later on.
2.	Prepare your elderberries by removing from stems using your fingers.
3.	Immerse the elderberries in water and rinse several times until the water runs clear to remove any insects like spiders or bugs. Pick out any stems or unripe (red or green) berries, you just want black elderberries.
4.	Place berries in a large heavy pot, with water and sugar and bring to boil to medium/ high heat.
5.	Use a potato masher to break down the fruit or for faster result use a hand blender.
6.	Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent the jam sticking to the bottom of the pan.
7.	To test if the jam is at the right consistency, remove the plate from the freezer, and place a small dollop of the jam on the plate. If the jam forms a skin it is ready, if not, return it to the heat and keep repeating the test until ready.
8.	Spoon the jam into sterilized jars and put the lids on immediately for a good seal.
9.	Since I don’t use a lot of sugar in the recipe, I recommend storing the jam in the fridge and consuming it within a couple of months.

NOTES

Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is a small, shrubby tree that is native to most of Europe. There are many types of elderberry tree, however Sambucus nigra is the species used historically as a medicinal plant. Black elderberry can substantially reduce upper respiratory symptoms.
The truly time consuming part of processing elderberries is the stripping of the berries from their stems, after they’ve been thoroughly rinsed.
Elderberries are quite crunchy and quite difficult to smash. Even using a hand blender, it can’t get completely smashed. Personally, I don’t mind it but if you want to remove the seeds and have a jelly result, you have to strain the juice from the elderberries, placing a large fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, over the pot.
The recipe for the sweet buns you can find it here …. https://baketheclick.gr/en/recipe/greek-easter-bread/
For the sweet buns, divide the initial dough in 16 equal parts.