The elderberries are ripe now here in Nederland, I will make this next week thank you for showing it, I brew beer and cider for a few years and this will be my next step 🥂🍻

I admire creators who take the time to answer questions in the comments

Just planted American elderberry. Looking forward to trying this. Thanks

As I was watching the video my daughter sent a picture message of loads of elderberries she spotted on her dog walk.... must be fate!! Love the channel and love the wine videos 👍 thank you

Thank you for the fabulous video! I have the necessary ingredients here, so today’s the day! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us! Can’t wait to see more!

Now I want to make some elderberry wine! This is also very useful information for a short story I'm writing, where the main character was taught how to make different sorts of wine by his father.

I'm going to give this recipe a try for sure!! I've failed before with elderberries so am keen to see how it turns out (plus they're pretty invasive around here). I've made parsnip and strawberry wines from your videos this year and they're fantastic....the blackberry is still fermenting! Thank You so much for sharing your knowledge x

Thank you. I'd love to see the next stage! Mead is really interesting too.

Another great video, thanks. I'd love to see a video on making mead

Raspberry wine would be a helpful recipe. Thank you

We will definitely be doing this for our next elderberry season in Southeast Louisiana. Can’t wait!

Thanks, great video as usual.

Great instructnal video !!

Thanks from Minnesota great video

Your videos are fnlabtastic! Thanks for sharing your advice, knowledge and expertise! I look forward to making your version of elderberry wine in autumn :)

Lovely ❤

Yes please more country wines and fortified wines would be great thanks

18:29 thankyoi very informative will be making this wine in a couple of days.

Just Preping myself for the season to come (2023) Your recipe reminded me of a batch I made many years ago and forgot about after bottling. They got lost amongst other bottles and equipment. It was three years before they surfaced again. When opened was completely sublime probably the best wine I have ever made. This year I will make extra batches as there are trees on my allotment site that only seem to be used by birds. Not a wine for drinking young more for laying down for wine futures. Keep up the good work your videos are informative and to the point with no waffle. My kindest regards to you and Fiona.

Oooo, saved this for tomorrow. I’ve got a load of these growing down the allotment. Thanks

MEAD!!!!! The first batch I made, nearl 20 years ago, was fabulous. The next bloody awful, and I have no idea why. As that quantity of good honey isn't cheap, haven't tried since, but I love the stuff.

Brilliant guide, nice and clear, thankyou

Fantastic video’s and your so natural in front of the camera, the video’s are so full of good down to Earth info. Love them

amazinng ,💫

Wonderful Content ! I will try this recipe this summer! Outstanding!

I’m having a go at this! Got lots of ripe elderberries on the trees so perfectly timed video and very concise thank you!

Thank you for the simple, easy-to-follow video! We have an elderflower tree at the bottom of our garden which is currently growing enough berries to make this recipe twice over, so I’m eager to give it a try 😊 We also have plenty of blackberries growing near us; would this recipe work with them as well? Perhaps changing up the additional orange for apples?

Thx

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise - they were really clear instructions

Fiona and Hugh, the content on your channel is superb. I’m in SW England so this channel, for me, has the ‘old fashioned’ skill set and charm of a lost world (and if there was ever a time to revive these skills…..). You should have a book. Many thanks x

Great video , greetings👋

Thank you ❤ for guiding us so very well into making Elderberry wine. I'll have to wait until August for the berries but am already extremely excited .....

Immediate recipe seems like it would be very interesting. I will look forward to it.

Thank you. Just subscribed because you make it so simple to follow and very concise. You also look so enthusiastic. Cheers 🍻

Can’t wait to give this a try, loved making the blackberry port last year , If you could do more wine and maybe a gin video please. Thank you 😊

Let the foraging begin! Good instructions, Hugh. Oh, I do agree with the unscented bleach. Simple, cheap and effective. Been using the method for years. ( late 70s)

Great stuff! 👌🥰 I planted 5 sambucus nigra whips in my garden this year so looking forward to the coming years. Out foraging for these on the allotment on Sunday though so I’ll be certainly trying this recipe. Thanks for all your great content 👍

I think it's important to take the pith too! 😅 Really enjoying and learning a lot from your videos, thanks so much. God bless!

I was not aware that bleach was bad for septic systems. I’m glad that you mentioned this. It would be nice if the label for Toilet bowl cleaner with bleach would suggest not to use to clean toilets used w septic systems

Thanks Hugh, brilliant as usual. Must say have not come across the use of Orange with Elderberry. Might have to give that a try. Hope you are both keeping well x Tricia

I made a lot of wine back in the 70s & 80s . A recipe I used a lot was a " 3 carton wine " using 1 litre cartons of juice from a supermarket , one of them had to be white grape juice ,and my favourite was the other 2 to be apple. Unfortunately it now seems impossible to find the white grape juice anywhere at a reasonable price. Unusually the recipe involved adding Bentonite at the start to aid clearing. It was a quick recipe - drinkable in about 6 weeks and made a delicious white table wine.

Invaluable .. you are a touchstone for all us lovers of nature. Go raibh mile a mhait agat

Thank you! Perfect timing as I have plans to start an elderberry wine soon...dried elderberries though...Love all of your videos but the winemaking/homebrewing are my FAVE!

Hi Hugh. Thank you for another interesting and informative video. I am sorry to go off topic and I know I have asked this before and to some it might seem very basic but one video that would really help me is one on your composting system. I am very new to gardening and veg growing and your composting system seems to work so well with your many tubs. I would love to know more.

I've got an Elderberry in the backyard and the equipment from making my mead (since I have two hives). I think I have no choice but to make some of this wine, this coming summer - here in Oz. Thanks again. Love the content. Still using my Dubbin from your recipe. Would like to see some fortified wine stuff - since you asked.

I've been putting my fruit into a mixture of vodka and sugar (100 proof vodka), letting it sit in a dark cupboard for three months, then straining out the fruit and enjoying the libations. It really mellows the longer its allowed to rest after removing the fruit, so yummy!!! Really good on homemade ice cream!!!

I made this it was absolutely delicious! My second batch is in the demijohn.

I make country wines and cider so anything regarding those would be helpful for me. At the moment I’m drinking 10 month old parsnip wine which I decided to make after watching your video. I’ve got to say it’s a bit like a poor man’s brandy. It’s got lots of taste and body and ended up at 12.5%

I love elderberry wine for me it's what I think of when I think of country wine as it was the country wine I was first introduced too many years ago when my dad made it. Such amazing flavor just gotten into wine and cider making recently and I have a gallon of it on the go ! Thanks for the great video. All the best.

OH wow... I Didn't know you guys had those over there. Bro, I am in America and I am trying to get a hedgerow of plum, elderberry, mulberry, currants and haskap. I am planting it along an already naturally fertile area along the edge of a forest. just cutting away the worse berries and planting the better berries. To me, this seems liek a winning and Biblical strategy. Good luck, bro.

I loved your video, thank you!!! I have an allotment with lots of gooseberries and other berries. I would love to make wines or cordials with what i grow. I am wasting fruit and thats not good!. Would love to see what more you can teach me.

I would like to see an elderberry mead, if there is such a thing.

I know it's been 12 months, however. I had a kilo of frozen elderberries and needed a use for them. Then, I discovered your excellent channel. Thank you. I followed your recipe but used a bakers yeast( all i had. Tandaco,Australia) Various brew sites have cited around 12%. My Starting Hydro reading was 1.130 after 2 weeks, fermentation "stopped" I racked the brew and took a reading.1.20, sizable drop and i could smell the alcohol. Secondary ferment now in a glass carboy. NO action noted yet . NB tasted the wine before racking. YUM fair bit of sugar but luscious, fruity wine. Will leave until clears

👍 This is the first video I have watched of yours, very timely, as I just collected a lot of Elderberries to make wine. I have never made Elderberry wine from the berries before, usually a kit. Yeah, maybe the kit has no Elderberries near it, but it tasted nice. Country wines for me, or anything you can ferment from juices. I have found a lot of my wine making equipment suffering from a long time unused, so anything that was plastic has suffered! Blackberry or Bramble wine has got to be my favourite 😎so far anyway, Elderberry a very close second. I just found Damsons close to me, don't know about making wine out of them, though. The trees are small yet, but give them a couple of years! Rasp is far too strong for me! Rowan was very nice until the wine lost the rich colour it had and the flavour along with it. It just tasted like cheap wine after that. Don't know if you have any ideas on that? It took a couple of years to lose colour and flavour! 😖

Great video . I have 10 acres and have a lot of elderberries. when there is a glut I freeze them and use them when I can get around to making the wine. Thank you .

Would you possibly consider making a video on sprouting and drying barley to make malted milk powder for the ultimate in bedtime comfort drinks 🤗

My Dad justdied in Maine USA, He had harvested about 20 lbs and froze them for his wine making. Anyway, I was closing the house (on the ocean by the way), and I brought them back to Michigan USA with me. I already make wine using frozen berries such as black, red, blue, mulberry, etc that grow on my farm. So my normal basic method is frozen berries, boiled water and sugar like you, but I add yeast nutrient, pectin enzyme, and 5 crushed campden, wait 24 hours and toss the yeast. I do thing in a bucket that's covered with a vent. Wait a week, or so, and transfer to a large demi with airlock. Now, I woundering if I should try you method. Looks pretty easy.

Interesting! I love to see how things are done "across the pond." We don't have elderberry trees here in NW Florida like you do in England. Instead, our native plants produce bushes. Ironically, the majority of the people don't know they're edible (let alone a powerful herbal medicine) and they instead treat the plants as a weed. My grandfathers would drink a shot glass of elderberry wine everyday. They called it a "tonic." Elderberry wine was also the base for many home remedies for colds and flus. I really like the idea of adding orange to the mix. Elderberries grow fantastically well here, but our native plants have a rather muted flavor. The subtle orange flavor would probably enhance that flavor quite nicely to create a more robust flavor! So, I too make wines and meads. Being American, we have no real "native" or "heritage" beverages. If I had to say we did...it'd be elderberry wine. With that said, what is the one brew you'd quintessentially say was "British?" Along the same vein, I'd love to see a series of meads and/or wines made to honor all of the members of the UK...like a sloe mead for Ireland, a heather mead for Scotland, a traditional metheglin from Wales, etc. If that worked, and the viewers liked it, maybe you could do another series for all of the countries that broke off from the UK. Now, that'd be diverse!

Great vid, I take it the orange juice needs to be pure...no preservative rubbish etc or the yeast will not take. Right am off to get some elderberries.

I have a big bag in the freezer. Typically, they've hit peak ripe two days before we go on holibobs for a fortnight. There'd be nothing usable left when we get back. Not doing wine. Syrup, excellent for coughs, colds & sore throats as is, and a lovely warming drink if mixed with hot water. X

Making mead would be appreciated!

Another one I'm about to try. I'll be buying elderberry juice as there're not enough elderberry trees locally (enough for elderflower wine tho' - sitting clarifying). PS: Made your blackberry port, which is sojourning with oak pieces before bottling.Made it from purée, which has its pros and cons, but it worked. Parsnip wine also, with my own parsnips. I'm leaving that another 6 months; it has an interesting licorice tone, so we'll see. Cheers!

Hi. American here. Ive had elderberries planted out back for about 10 years. Mostly make jelly with them but always save a few gallons back for wine. Im really looking forward to trying this formula with this years harvest. One question though, are mine the same thing as yours? Your berries seem a bit bigger than mine and our elder trees are much shorter. Ours only get to 10 feet or so max. They are definitely the same basic plant. Same leaves and arrangement, but just a little different. Or maybe its the perspective of the camera? I have no idea. Gonna dig into it more but wanted to leave this comment incase someone can beat me to it. I planted currents some years ago and was surprised when my current wine just tasted like grape wine. Come to find out European "true currents" are banned in North America so what we call "currents" are a type of grape. Remember kids, it pays to read the whole Wikipedia article.

I was always told they were poisonous 😂 hello from Ireland 🇮🇪

Thank you for the video from across the pond in Pennsylvania! Just picked and froze 15# of Elderberries. I am wondering if your recipe is for 1 US gallon? If not what quantity. I would like to use my 6 US gal Fermenter and Carboy to finish this wine. Thanks, again!

Great video, clear concise and easy to follow. A part two would be great please as I've never made wine before. Also, I am intolerant to oranges, could I swap the juice and flesh for apples instead?

Really enjoyed that. Might have to get my brother interested, as he has more space for the setup - could this be done in a corner of a small kitchen?

hey loved this video thank you! i thought it was a lot more complicated but im definitely going to give this a go now :) did you use orange juice as a starter must because you used oranges in the recipe ? could i use a different juice for the starter must? would the yeast activate in a cold herbal tea for example ? 🙏🏻

I've made a few batches of Elderberry Wine this September, not the port version. I was wondering if you'd have any tips on how to get your muslin or straining bag clean of Elderberry juice afterwards. That juice does stain 😂.

Fab video. What do you do at the end? How long do you leave it? All this is very new to us so apologies for the daft questions. Would love to see you make Mead. Also, we are struggling to cook using our Rayburn. Any cooking tip videos would be very handy 😊

Fantastic video, is there any chance you could do a rhubarb wine? That would be great. I understand the theory but for some reason I can't get my head round the different wines, and a demonstration would be very helpful. Thanks in advance, Pete.

Hi. Really enjoyed your videos. Cannot wait to try. I have abundance of Elderberry and Blackberries in my garden at the moment. Is there anything to say you cannot make an Elderberry and Blackberry wine or is it better to make them separate. Many Thanks

Hi I've just followed your recipe for making Elderberry wine. So simple and easy to follow. I've got a freezer full of Blackberries and Damsons. Can I follow the same recipe to make Damson wine and Blackberry wine. I don't ewant to make Blackberry Port this year. If so do I use the same quantities of fruit and sugar as in the Elderberry recipe? Thanks Phil

Love your wine videos! Question, Why didn't you smash the berries and oranges to exact more juice into the must? Would you add herbs at the capping to add additional flavor and finally I love your cast iron pot!

After 3 days on a window seal what do you do ? And what am i lookimg for ? Love your videos ❤

Can you pick green bunches and let them ripen on the shelf? You know, like tomatoes?

Thank you for your guidance. I have made roughly 200 ales, but never made wine until today. I have followed your recipe (almost :p) and have exactly the same yeast as you are using for this. What kind of abv can I expect? I'll be measuring with hydrometer. Thanks again, genuinely excited to experience the product.

First time trying to make wine. Fingers crossed, it will turn out OK. How long does it need to sit for before you can drink it? Thanks

This sounds lovely! What do you do with the fruit once you’ve strained it from the liquid?

Thank you so much for all the teaching...I have questions about how to eliminate the dried flowers that choose to cling to the fruit...can it be put into the mix with no ill effect????

Thank you for well shot easy to follow video.. One question, is it OK to freeze the berries for later use? Thanks again friend. Take care.

Where do you get your demijohns? Thank you.

I am trying this recipe out this year, as my elderbery wine as failed in years past, but alright with lemonade thank you. Do you do a dandelion video please

Great video! How long does the wine take to ferment? Do you have to filter it as you bottle it?

Do you think this recipe would still work by substituting the orange juice / slices with fresh squeezed apple or pear juice and apple / pear slices? Also, could I scale it up to a 5gal carboy?

Bleach is a great sanitiser, anything unscented containing sodium hypochlorite will kill any bacteria, including anthrax spores if used at the right PH. The advantage of the basic homebrew cleaner/sterilisers (which also contain sodium hypochlorite) is that they also contain a powerful cleaner which is great on the byproducts of fermentation so they are a 1 step clean and sterilise process rather than a 2 step, clean THEN sterilise process. It's a long and boring subject and at the end of the day people have been using detergent and bleach mostly successfully for many many, decades. I love the subject of country wines, I've been brewing beer for years but have a lot to learn about traditional homemade, hedgerow wines so next time you are brewing I'd love to hear about it.

Good video. We have an elderberry wine still aging from last year. We are going to try your recipe this year. How long do you wait to drink your wine? Thank you. Have a great weekend.

Can I use dried elderberries. I have so many because I didn't have time to process them all. So, to save them, I dried them and stored them in vacuumed canning jars.

Hi there. I’m making wine for the first time following your recipe. Your video is really clear and easy to follow. How long roughly does fermentation take? I’m on day 11 and just curious when I’d be looking at bottling it

Hello , I’d be interested in mead videos, I’ve tried a couple of times, some good results some bad ! Could you use honey and water in this recipe for the sugar syrup? Great videos!

Hugh - doesn't primary fermentation need oxygen? Don't you need to leave the air to mix with the fruit for the first few days? Then put an airlock on after say, 5 days?

I wonder if one could make this wine with dried elderberries? I don't know of any elderberry bushes where I live.

🥰❣

How png does the fermentiaion process take untill you can drink it?

Hi, should I make any modifications if I make this with frozen elderberries? Less water perhaps? Should I thaw them beforehand?

I made Elderberry wine before as well same thing for my berry-nettle beer/cider, it turned out really nice Port-like taste with bitter, grassy notes. Nice video! Why oranges though and what does it do flavour or just taste?

I'm currently make this right now and am wondering how long to ferment and clear? will you be posting a part 2 soon? thanks

Freeze the berries, really good for getting them off the stalks

I have loads of frozen elderberries, can I use them? If so what is the procedure please. Thank you.

Can we use red elderberry? All we have here in canada west coast.