I want to thank the southern gent who told us about using a wide toothed
comb to pick elderberries. Today at a rummage sale I bought a dog's curry
comb for 25 cents. Its got good strong metal teeth perpendicular to a
substantial handle with a hole in it for a loop of twine to go around the
wrist. I'm looking forward to using it next summer to pick elderberries.

I wrote here that I was trying to dry elderberris on the stem instead of
labouriously picking them off the stem first. The berries dried okay but
so did the stems. When I tried separating the dry berries from the dry
stems the stems broke into little pices. I can't separate them from the
dried berries. I was able to get rid of a some of the stems by sifting the
berries though a collander. I got rid of a lot more by putting the berries
in a large salad bowl and flipping the stem pieces which weigh less than
the berries to the outer edge. There's still quite a few tiny peices of
dry stem in with the dry berries but not enough to keep me from using the
berries.


--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm
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Damn! Someone called me a gentleman, thank you Mr. Watt. I got the idea
from a Canajun friend, Bill Loke. Bill's tag line on his email is:
"Elderberries have more fun than youngerberries." I send Bill gumbo file
and hot sauce and he sends me dried currants, real currants, not those
teensy California grape things they call currants here in the USA. \

As it is, our elders have some sort of wilt and they have spread it to
the blueberries so both are coming out and going to the dump. Next time
I think I'll get a named variety with bigger berries.

George, watching it rain

William R. Watt wrote:
> I want to thank the southern gent who told us about using a wide toothed
> comb to pick elderberries. Today at a rummage sale I bought a dog's curry
> comb for 25 cents. Its got good strong metal teeth perpendicular to a
> substantial handle with a hole in it for a loop of twine to go around the
> wrist. I'm looking forward to using it next summer to pick elderberries.
>
> I wrote here that I was trying to dry elderberris on the stem instead of
> labouriously picking them off the stem first. The berries dried okay but
> so did the stems. When I tried separating the dry berries from the dry
> stems the stems broke into little pices. I can't separate them from the
> dried berries. I was able to get rid of a some of the stems by sifting the
> berries though a collander. I got rid of a lot more by putting the berries
> in a large salad bowl and flipping the stem pieces which weigh less than
> the berries to the outer edge. There's still quite a few tiny peices of
> dry stem in with the dry berries but not enough to keep me from using the
> berries.
>
>
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
> homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm
> warning: non-freenet email must have "notspam" in subject or it's returned

George Shirley > wrote:

> I send Bill gumbo file
> and hot sauce and he sends me dried currants, real currants, not those
> teensy California grape things they call currants here in the USA. \

The name originates from England, by way of Greece. They were called
"Grapes of Corinthe" - or so I've read. Time and language being what it
is in England, they're now called currants.

"Blanche Nonken" > wrote in message
...
> George Shirley > wrote:
>
> > I send Bill gumbo file
> > and hot sauce and he sends me dried currants, real currants, not those
> > teensy California grape things they call currants here in the USA. \
>
> The name originates from England, by way of Greece. They were called
> "Grapes of Corinthe" - or so I've read. Time and language being what it
> is in England, they're now called currants.

No, no!!

Elderberries and red (or black) currants are two different things, at least
here in Canada.

Elderberries are an astringent type of thing. I have made wine from them
(and you have to be dedicated to drink that stuff). They are a real pain to
get off the clusters. I use a dinner fork. They grow in large bushes or
small trees.

Currants grow along a branch in smaller bushes, more like gooseberries.

Elderberries and currants can both be used for jellies and jams.

Dried currants, as I understand it, come from a variety of small grapes.
Small raisins, so to speak.

In . rogers.com,
Ribitt > took a deep breath, sighed and spoke thusly:
> "Blanche Nonken" > wrote in message
> ...
>> George Shirley > wrote:
>>
>>> I send Bill gumbo file
>>> and hot sauce and he sends me dried currants, real currants, not
>>> those teensy California grape things they call currants here in the
>>> USA. \
>>
>> The name originates from England, by way of Greece. They were called
>> "Grapes of Corinthe" - or so I've read. Time and language being
>> what it is in England, they're now called currants.
>
> No, no!!
>
> Elderberries and red (or black) currants are two different things, at
> least here in Canada.
>
> Elderberries are an astringent type of thing. I have made wine from
> them (and you have to be dedicated to drink that stuff). They are a
> real pain to get off the clusters. I use a dinner fork. They grow in
> large bushes or small trees.
>
> Currants grow along a branch in smaller bushes, more like
> gooseberries.
>
> Elderberries and currants can both be used for jellies and jams.
>
> Dried currants, as I understand it, come from a variety of small
> grapes. Small raisins, so to speak.


I just put on a pair of disposable latex exam gloves (great for canning prep if you're not
allergic to latex) and strip the berries off with my bare hands.



--
Marilyn
-----------
Having abandoned my search for the truth, I am now looking for a good
fantasy.

Ribitt wrote:
> "Blanche Nonken" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>George Shirley > wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I send Bill gumbo file
>>>and hot sauce and he sends me dried currants, real currants, not those
>>>teensy California grape things they call currants here in the USA. \
>>
>>The name originates from England, by way of Greece. They were called
>>"Grapes of Corinthe" - or so I've read. Time and language being what it
>>is in England, they're now called currants.
>
>
> No, no!!
>
> Elderberries and red (or black) currants are two different things, at least
> here in Canada.
>
> Elderberries are an astringent type of thing. I have made wine from them
> (and you have to be dedicated to drink that stuff). They are a real pain to
> get off the clusters. I use a dinner fork. They grow in large bushes or
> small trees.
>
> Currants grow along a branch in smaller bushes, more like gooseberries.
>
> Elderberries and currants can both be used for jellies and jams.
>
> Dried currants, as I understand it, come from a variety of small grapes.
> Small raisins, so to speak.
>
>
>I'm pretty sure that Blanche knows the difference between elderberries
and currants as do I. The small grapes (currants) are what passes for
dried currants in the USA because, AFAIK, there is no commercial acreage
in real currants. If you read the box, can, bag of commercial currants
it tells you plainly that they are teeny grapes (raisins). they also do
not taste like real currants.

Elderberries are not that astringent, you just have to add a little more
sugar when fermenting them into must to make wine. I eat them off the
bush but don't enjoy them enough to make a meal of them.

George

"Ribitt" > wrote in message news:vWBmb.1865
>
> Dried currants, as I understand it, come from a variety of small grapes.
> Small raisins, so to speak.

You are correct!

Ophelia

> wrote in message news


> >>I'm pretty sure that Blanche knows the difference between elderberries
> >and currants as do I. The small grapes (currants) are what passes for
> >dried currants in the USA because, AFAIK, there is no commercial acreage
> >in real currants. If you read the box, can, bag of commercial currants
> >it tells you plainly that they are teeny grapes (raisins). they also do
> >not taste like real currants.

Our raisins are a much lighter colour and the currants are nearly black.
Both from grapes but white and black grapes

>
> Right you are. I've tasted 'real currants' (black currants)
> in the UK. I don't like them.

Blackcurrants are a soft fruit which is used commerically to make vitamin
drinks. I like them made into jam and in pies.

Ophelia

Ophelia wrote:

> > wrote in message news
>
>
>
>>>>I'm pretty sure that Blanche knows the difference between elderberries
>>>
>>>and currants as do I. The small grapes (currants) are what passes for
>>>dried currants in the USA because, AFAIK, there is no commercial acreage
>>>in real currants. If you read the box, can, bag of commercial currants
>>>it tells you plainly that they are teeny grapes (raisins). they also do
>>>not taste like real currants.
>
>
> Our raisins are a much lighter colour and the currants are nearly black.
> Both from grapes but white and black grapes
>
>
>>Right you are. I've tasted 'real currants' (black currants)
>>in the UK. I don't like them.
>
>
> Blackcurrants are a soft fruit which is used commerically to make vitamin
> drinks. I like them made into jam and in pies.
>
> Ophelia
>
>
>
I use them in cakes, mostly currant cakes or a fruitcake. Sometimes I've
rehydrated them and put them in cookies. As it is impossible for me to
get fresh currants I have to make use of the dried "real" currants. Been
trying to think of the soft drink I used to buy in the Middle East that
came from Blighty and was made of currant juice. Guess those brain cells
have died or are taking a nap. Oh well.

George

"George Shirley" > wrote in message news:YdSmb.49096

> I use them in cakes, mostly currant cakes or a fruitcake. Sometimes I've
> rehydrated them and put them in cookies. As it is impossible for me to
> get fresh currants I have to make use of the dried "real" currants. Been
> trying to think of the soft drink I used to buy in the Middle East that
> came from Blighty and was made of currant juice. Guess those brain cells
> have died or are taking a nap. Oh well.

Ribena?

Delrosa for babies?

O

Ophelia wrote:
> "George Shirley" > wrote in message news:YdSmb.49096
>
>
>>I use them in cakes, mostly currant cakes or a fruitcake. Sometimes I've
>>rehydrated them and put them in cookies. As it is impossible for me to
>>get fresh currants I have to make use of the dried "real" currants. Been
>>trying to think of the soft drink I used to buy in the Middle East that
>>came from Blighty and was made of currant juice. Guess those brain cells
>>have died or are taking a nap. Oh well.
>
>
> Ribena?
>
> Delrosa for babies?
>
> O
>
>
>
Wasn't for babies, I do remember that, it was just a nice, refreshing
cold drink in a can and, IIRC, one of the ingredients was currant juice.

George

>Black currant are banned in the US because they're hosts to one or the
>other crop disease. You'll find _real_ black currants in Europe. And black
>currants are my favorite fruit. Yum, for pretty much everything made from
>them, and yum for the ripe sunwarmed berry itself, too.

Yes, I have heard about this. Something to do with Pine Tree's
disease?

I was SURE to bring a jar of currant jelly home from Europe when I was
there 4 yrs. ago. I loved the stuff when I lived in France 20 yrs.
ago.

Craig

spamtra wrote:
> George Shirley > wrote:
>
>>>I'm pretty sure that Blanche knows the difference between elderberries
>>and currants as do I. The small grapes (currants) are what passes for
>>dried currants in the USA because, AFAIK, there is no commercial acreage
>>in real currants. If you read the box, can, bag of commercial currants
>>it tells you plainly that they are teeny grapes (raisins). they also do
>>not taste like real currants.
>
> Right you are. I've tasted 'real currants' (black currants)
> in the UK. I don't like them.
>
> The 'currant situation' is exceedingly confusing.
>
> I believe I've sorted it out. It mainly goes like this:
>
> 1. USA (and UK) call small raisins (made from grapes)
> 'currants'.
>
> 2. USA and UK have 'red currants'. These grow on a bush,
> are closely related to gooseberries. They're not very sweet
> and usually used for jelly. Currant jelly is very nice.
>
> 3. UK has something called 'black currants'. (These, I
> believe, are the ones George was referring to.) They make a
> drink from them (children's drink) called 'Ribena'. They
> also make jam from them. I've tasted the jam. They don't
> taste anything like the 'tiny raisin' currants. I assume
> that these grow in the USA too, but I've never seen them
> here.

Black currant are banned in the US because they're hosts to one or the
other crop disease. You'll find _real_ black currants in Europe. And black
currants are my favorite fruit. Yum, for pretty much everything made from
them, and yum for the ripe sunwarmed berry itself, too.

The mercans have something close to black currants, sold as black
currant plants, which doesn't have the aromatic leaf of the real thing.
This is usually golden currant. The berries of this one are black and
about black-currant sized, but are much blander and have a long dried
flower hanging off the flowery end.

Pictures of red currant:
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/pictu...bes-rubrum.htm to
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/pictu...s-rubrum-4.htm

Pictures of black currant:
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/pictu...bes-nigrum.htm to
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/pictu...s-nigrum-4.htm

Pictures of golden currant:
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/pictu...bes-aureum.htm to
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/pictu...s-aureum-4.htm

Henriette

--
Henriette Kress, AHG Helsinki, Finland
Henriette's herbal homepage: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed
Best of RHOD: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/rhod

In article >,
(William R. Watt) wrote:

> I want to thank the southern gent who told us about using a wide toothed
> comb to pick elderberries.

William, that was no gentleman -- that was George Shirley.
--
-Barb (www.jamlady.eboard.com updated 10-16-03; check the PickleHats tab, too.)

"Ribitt" ) writes:

> Elderberries are an astringent type of thing. I have made wine from them
> (and you have to be dedicated to drink that stuff).

Elderberry wine is delicious. You just have to let it age at least three
years before drinking.

The dried elderberries I tried this year are tasty too. Not astringent.

I freeze some to use for the tart taste, like rhubarb. (When did the
rhubarb lose its barbs?) A few elderberries sprinkled on the top of apple
crisp before it goes in the microwave make a very tasty and unique dish.
--
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Black currants are no longer banned in the US, at least not in
Illinois. As our Cooperative Extension says about currants in
general, "These fruits are little known in Illinois. They were
prohibited from culture for many years in this state because they can
serve as an alternate host for the white pine blister rust disease.
However, at the present time, there is little blister rust in
Illinois, and the state restrictions on growing these plants have been
removed."

A local arborist told me that at least in our area, the pine and
currant growing cycles aren't adequately coordinated for spreading the
disease.

I planted two black currants a couple of years ago. They definitely
are an acquired taste if eaten fresh. Cooked or made into a beverage
is much better.

Regards, Dianna
_______________________________________________
To reply, please remove "fluff" from my address.

Dianna Visek wrote:

> Black currants are no longer banned in the US, at least not in
> Illinois. As our Cooperative Extension says about currants in

Good to know.

> I planted two black currants a couple of years ago. They definitely
> are an acquired taste if eaten fresh. Cooked or made into a beverage
> is much better.

Of course, you have to _like_ that taste explosion ... that might very
well be an acquired taste. But if you get a sweet cultivar ripe berries
are very tasty - just don't pick them unripe, dark violet-colored.

Wild black currants (they're wild here, too) are rather sour, and grow on
shady lakeshores and riverbanks.

What you absolutely have to do is make tea from the leaf. And put young
leaves on cheese sandwiches, and add it to fruit salads and the like. Yum!

Henriette

--
Henriette Kress, AHG Helsinki, Finland
Henriette's herbal homepage: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed
Best of RHOD: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/rhod

The tea sounds very interesting. The leaves have a spicy smell that
would be good in tea.

Regards, Dianna


On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 06:15:23 +0200, Henriette Kress
> wrote:


>What you absolutely have to do is make tea from the leaf. And put young
>leaves on cheese sandwiches, and add it to fruit salads and the like. Yum!
>
>Henriette

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To reply, please remove "fluff" from my address.