It’s Only the Beginning of Elderberry Season on Our Homestead…
It’s wild out here, y’all… and we’re just in the beginning of elderberry season here on our homestead in South Carolina.
One of my favorite things about this time of year is wandering the trails around our homestead and spotting more and more elderberries turning ripe. Every walk seems to reveal another patch loaded down with berries, and I get just a little more excited each time.
The best part? We don’t have to rush! We have elderberries growing all over our property, so instead of one big harvest, we’ll be picking berries all through late summer and into early fall as different clusters ripen. It turns harvesting into a fun excuse to take another walk around the farm.
There’s something so rewarding about filling baskets with food that God provided right here on our own land. We’ll be preserving our harvest by freezing and dehydrating berries so we can enjoy them long after the season is over.
Elderberries have been treasured in traditional herbalism for generations and are packed with antioxidants. Around here they’ll eventually become all kinds of homemade goodies like:
- Elderberry syrup
- Elderberry gummies
- Herbal tea blends
- Tinctures
- Jams & jellies
- And maybe even a few new recipes we’re excited to try!
One of the things I love most about homesteading is learning to work with the seasons. It’s amazing how much nature provides when you slow down long enough to notice what’s growing around you.
Now tell me…are you team freeze, dehydrate, or straight into syrup? Or do you have another favorite way to preserve elderberries? I’d love to hear what everyone makes!
