photo courtesy simply recipes
I grew up/raised on elderberries: elderberry jelly, juice and wine! Perhaps it’s due to my European roots? More recently, our drive-way was lined with elderberry bushes, actually they’re more like trees, often requiring a rake or cultivator ‘hook’ to bring the fruit down to picking level. The elderberry fruit usually ripens mid-August. Over the past few years, we ‘lost’ most of our elderberries since our drive usually is hot, dry and never ‘watered’. Elderberry prefers fertile, moist soil and is often wild-crafted around my neck of the woods!
Elderberry blossoms are often picked, battered, fryed and eaten!
You can learn more about elderberry culture at the MSUE site here http://www.msue.msu.edu/portal/default.cfm?pageset_id=260250&page_id=429827&msue_portal_id=25643
You can find a HOW-TO elderberry jelly recipe here at Simply Recipes (click on the link) http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/elderberry_jelly/
My elderberry jelly recipe requires: approx 16 cups berries to produce ~ 3 cups juice, 1 box Sure-Jell fruit pectin, 4- 1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. I normally do not add butter to control ‘foam’. Yield: Approx six half-pint jelly jars. Follow the same steps as above (in Simply Recipes) to prepare fruit, juice and finally, jelly.
It’s a lot of work, considering the amount of teeny weeny berries required, but sooooo delicious!
Sheepy Hollow Farm 
I, too, wouldn’t hear of an Indian summer going by without elderberry jelly. I made tons of it last fall, and plan to do the same this year. It is well worth the work, I agree!. ~Amy
Looks lovely! I got two elderberry bushes last year, only one survived and it is very small..thinking about getting some more (bigger ones) next year!
You can never have too many elderberrry bushes…whatever you don’t pick, the wildlife gets to enjoy! No time to make jelly? Freeze the berries and/or juice and save jelly-making for another day!
Jenny, your jelly looks wonderful. Pretty photo. You have reminded me that I have not made jelly in a very long time. Perhaps while I am out today, I’ll buy some pectin and make strawberry jam. There is NOTHING like homemade jelly and jam. Thanks for the inspiration!
Happy day
Carole