Elderberry
Also called European black elderberry · Black elder · Black elderberrySambucus nigra · Adoxaceae family
A cooked-fruit ingredient that needs species-aware preparation and tested preservation guidance.
Find it near DetroitGet to know it
Elderberries are tiny, glossy, purple-black fruits that ripen in broad clusters on a shrub. The American kind tastes tart or bittersweet and belongs in the cooking pot. In Germany, elderberry juice becomes a sweet soup with apple and soft semolina dumplings.
What it is
Two familiar cooking types are European black elder, Sambucus nigra, and American elderberry, also called Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis. American berries measure about 0.6 cm (¼ in) across, with many fruits gathered on one branching head.
The berries used in the kitchen are fully ripe and deep purple. Remove the stems and cook the fruit before eating; raw elderberries, leaves and stems are not food.
Where it comes from
European black elder comes from Europe, North Africa and western Asia. Its American relative grows naturally across eastern and central North America, from Nova Scotia and Manitoba south to Florida and Texas.
The European plant also supplies elderflowers for cordial, a popular homemade drink in Europe. Elderflower and elderberry come from the same plant, but one is the flower crop and the other is the fruit.
How it's eaten where it grows
In Germany, Holunderbeersuppe is an elderberry soup: elderberry and apple juices simmer with sugar, then sliced apple and lemon go in. Soft dumplings made from semolina, milk and eggs turn the soup into a sweet meal.
In Austria's Salzburg region, elderberry compote goes beside Kaiserschmarrn, a chopped-up pancake. The berries cook with lemon, cinnamon and cloves, followed by chopped apple and plums. The compote can be frozen for winter meals.
How it's grown
American elderberry grows into a many-stemmed bush about 1.5–4 m (5–12 ft) tall and loses its leaves in winter. Clusters of white flowers open in early summer. Plants can be raised from stem cuttings and take a few years to bear heavily.
Black elder fruits best in full sun, with moist, rich soil that drains well. Growing several varieties together increases the fruit crop.
When and where you'll find it
In Missouri, American elderberries usually ripen from August through October. Frozen berries carry that harvest into later cooking: they can be thawed and cooked later.
Farm cafés are another way to encounter the crop. Elderberry Farms Estate in Traverse City, Michigan, grows elderberries alongside lavender, blueberries and produce, using its crops for handcrafted items in its shop and café.
Sources · 7
- Elderberry Farms Estateelderberryfarmsestate.com
- Missouri Department of Conservationmdc.mo.gov
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolboxplants.ces.ncsu.edu
- Oregon State Universitylandscapeplants.oregonstate.eduOther pages2
- Penn State Extensionextension.psu.edu
- Salzburger Sportweltsalzburgersportwelt.com
- tegut…tegut.com
Get it near Detroit
What it tastes like
Softer than a pear, as tart as a kiwifruit≈
More about the taste
American elderberry is bittersweet or tart, and used cooked in foods like pies, jellies and syrups.
Choose, store, eat
1ChooseFully ripe, deeply purple
Look for
- Fully ripe, deeply purple
Ignore
- Dark color alone
Use fully ripe, deeply purple elderberries for cooking. A dark berry alone doesn't make an unfamiliar or ornamental elder safe to eat.
2StoreFreezer, for cooking
- FreezerFor cooking
Elderberries can be frozen for later cooking. Standard boiling-water canning isn't safe for them, since they can be low-acid — use a current tested recipe for canning.
3EatCooked berries · not stems
Eat
Cooked berriesNot eaten
StemsCook elderberries before eating, and remove the stems.
Detroit, Michigan
When it’s good hereUsual monthsJust arrivedAt their bestLast chanceAll yearWhere it is in its usual monthsToday, Oct 22Grown hereIn season in your stateShips fromIn season where it grows
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1 of 1 areas · October
Cooked elderberries go into crumbles, crisps and pies, sometimes with peaches or plums. The flowers are a separate tradition, used in syrups and liqueurs.
49 varieties
- No variety photo yetSampo
- Flavour
- mild schmeckende Germany
- No variety photo yetMarge
- No variety photo yetRanch
- No variety photo yetSamdal
- No variety photo yetSamyl
- No variety photo yetBL-North
81 names in 12 languages
- خمان أسودArabic
- SaúguSpanish
Cook it
1 Elderberry festivalUsual monthToday, Oct 22
Strange but trueHistoryA myth, and the truthScienceNatureWhere the name came fromCustoms and culturePeople
If you like Elderberry
Tastes alike
Used the same way
Nutrition, sources
Nutrition
Elderberries, raw · per 100 g
- Carbohydrate
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Protein
- 0.7 g
- Fat
- 0.5 g
- Vitamin C
- 36 mg
- Potassium
- 280 mg
Sources
Elderberry · Fruitopia · checked Sep 22, 2026