Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Elder. — The common elder-tree is found in all parts of Britain. Its berries and flowers are much used, as may be seen from the following recipes. We may mention, in addition, that an odorous water, used as a perfimie, is prepared by distilling the flowers. Elder wine is specially in demand about Christmas-time. It is generally drunk hot or mulled. In some parts of Germany, the poorer classes use the berries as an ingredient in soup. Elderberry Ketchup, for Pish. Sauce. — Pick a pint of ripe elderberries from the stalks, and put them into an earthen jar. Pour over them a pint of boiling vinegar, and let them remain in a cool oven all night. Strain the liquor from the berries without squeezing them, and put it into a saucepan with an oimce of shallots, a blade of mace, an inch of whole ginger, a tea-spoonful of cloves, and a teaspoonful of peppercorns. Boil for six or eight minutes, and bottle the ketchup, when cold, with the spices. Sufficient for one pint and a half of ketchup. Probable cost, Is. ELDERBERRY. Elder Brandy. — Pick the berries when fully ripe. Have ready a press for drawing ojff the juice, and four hair-cloths somewhat broader than the press ; lay one above another, having a hair-cloth between each layer, which must be laid very thin and pressed a little at first, and then more, till the press be di-awn as close as possible. Now take out the berries, and press all the rest in like manner. Next take the pressed ben-ies, break out all the lumps, put them into an openheaded vessel, and add as much liquor as will just cover them. Let them infuse for seven or eight days, then put the juice first drawn into a cask proper for it to be kept in, and add two gallons of malt spirits to every twenty gallons of elder-juice, which wiU eifectuaUy preserve it from becoming sour for two years at least. A little sugar and a few cloves make a great improvement in the brandy. Elder-flower and Tarragon Vinegar. — FiU a bottle with the elder-flowers, and pour upon them as much vinegar as they will take; let them rest for a fortnight, when the vinegar may be strained and put into bottles of smaller size. The fresh-gathered leaves of any sweet herb may be infused, and their flavour extracted in the same manner. Elder Rob. — Extract the juice from some elderberries by putting the fruit into a jar and setting it in water to boil until the berries are soft. Put half a pound of good brown sugar with every pint of juice thus extracted, and boil the sugar and juice for a whole hour, skimming the liquid as it rises. Elder Tops, To Pickle. — About six inches of the tops of young elder sj^routs, if cut at the right time — in the middle of April — wiQ make a good pickle. The sprouts should be first blanched in boiling water, then pickled in vinegar, adding salt and white pepper.