Fruit Ripening & Picking Guides
Elderberries
Elderberries are popular for their unusual flavour in pies, jellies, and jams, and are sometimes used in winemaking. They hang in clusters from wood-like stems. Only the purplish-black elderberries are good for eating, and must always be cooked. Green or bright red elderberries are bitter, and possibly toxic, even when cooked.
- August
- September
- October
How to tell when elderberries are ready to harvest: Ripe elderberries tend to be a deep purple to black colour. Underripe elderberries will not ripen after being harvested. Do not eat elderberries when green.
When to submit a pick request: We’ll need some advance notice to schedule your pick, so please submit a fruit pick request 3-5 days before your fruit is ready. A good time to do this is when an entire cluster of Elderberries is a purplish-black and not green, as this means the berries are ripe and ready for harvesting.
Picking tips: Elderberries grow in clusters. When picking elderberries, remove the cluster as a whole by snapping the stem at the base of the branch. Remove the berries from the stem by holding the cluster over a bowl with one hand and gently running your other hand down the cluster, separating each berry and allowing it to fall into the bowl below. One technique is to use a wide-tooth comb to separate the berries from the stem.
Eating tips: Elderberries are poisonous raw. They need to be cooked to make them edible. They have all sorts of cooked uses, though! Think pie, jelly, juice, and wine!
Storage tips: Elderberries should not be stored in containers at room temperature for more than 2-4 hours as this can cause them to spoil. They should generally be frozen or cooked immediately after picking them.
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Have an Elderberry Tree? Register it now.
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Want to pick Elderberries? Join our Picking Team.