Frozen Raw American Elderberry Juice - $50-70/gal. on pallet orders
Stable Anthocyanin Color
The acylated anthocyanins give the juice of American elderberries stable purple color and high antioxidant levels that are retained even after extensive processing.
The anthocyanins in European elderberries are the normal unstable types. (Bakowska-Barczak. 2005. Acylated anthocyanins as stable natural food colorants. A review. Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences. 14: 107-116)
We can press large volumes of juice from certified organic American elderberries to fill 45-50 gal. in a 55 gal. drum, shipped bulk frozen. Depending on the press efficiency and quality of berries, processors will usually get 1 gal of juice from 12lb. of elderberries. The pH ranges from 4.3-4.8, BRIX is 10-12 with +/- 9% solids. All prices do not include delivery or shipping. Email info@midwest-elderberry.coop or call 612-418-4624. I sell many flavors of kombucha, but my Elderberry Lemon is by far the best seller. I believe it is because of the quality organic elderberry juice that I use from Midwest Elderberry Cooperative. Sacred Blossom Elderberry Syrup Recipe from Juice: 1 Gallon Raw Elderberry Juice, 4 cups honey, 2 cups extra strong echinacea tea (optional). Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to boil and add 1 cup of echinacea herbs. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 24 hours. Strain. (Optional: Use distilled water.) Boil honey hard for 2 minutes, then add raw elderberry juice and bring it to 180°F. Remove from heat. Add echinacea tea and honey. Stir well. To preserve reheat to nearly a boil (165-175°F), then seal in jars. Set in a cold area if possible. 5 lb. dried elderberries approximately equals 2 gal. of raw juice Are Raw Native Elderberries Safe? (Applies to Juice, too.) Elderberry Flower Production and Cyanide Concern Summary of Findings: [Click here to read the full article.] This does not seem to be true for European Sambucus nigra elderberries, which have a history of production processes to neutralize the potential issues related to glycosides. That is why those imported ingredients are more processed and may also be part of the reason why native elderberries taste better than the European ones. While the latest research at the university of Missouri (soon to be published) indicates that fresh/frozen, ripe elderberries do not have significant levels of glycosides, some few people seem to be strongly affected by consuming raw elderberries or elderberry juice, where it upsets their digestive system. Why they have a lower tolerance for elderberry is not clearly understood. Fresh and raw frozen berries that are fermented or heated so that the entire volume reaches 180° F, or more have not been associated with any health related incidents to our knowledge.
[Every person’s recipe and taste is a bit different. The above is one way. Another person, who had been making it from frozen berries or dehydrated berries, added a little more than 50% water to get it to about the way she was used to. She also increased her honey and herbs and ended up with a taste she liked better than her syrup made with berries.]
Andrew L. Thomas University of Missouri Division of Plant Sciences, Southwest Research Center Mt. Vernon, MO. This article gives a photo and graph rundown of a multi-year study investigating the whether native North American Sambucus (nigra) canadensis contains proto-cyanide glycosides in quantities sufficient to warrant specific processing requirements beyond clean harvest.