Elderberry
By Lori Rose
Who remembers the old Pawpaw Song, about finding ripe pawpaws on the ground? No? Me neither. The pawpaw is not well known by recent generations but was quite popular for the pre-baby boomers.
The pawpaw, Asimina triloba, is a true Native American fruit tree that grows in eastern half of North America. It is the largest native edible fruit. It is said that George Washington loved them. The pawpaw has many nicknames, including custard apple, Indian banana, and poor-man’s banana.
Pawpaws are not easy to find in stores because it does not look appetizing. They also have a short shelf life (2-3 days at room temperature) and do not travel well. But beneath the pawpaws unattractive exterior lies a custardy sweetness like no other. The flavor is closest to a mixture of banana, mango, and vanilla. Wild pawpaw trees spread by runners that can easily be transplanted, and there are also cultivars that can be purchased at specialty nurseries.Pawpaw trees are small and pretty, with a distinctive triangular shape. They grow up to about twenty feet tall. The big leaves can be twelve inches long, giving the tree a somewhat tropical appearance. The leaves come out after the flowers in late spring. The flowers are soft and brown and hang upside down. The fruit grows in clusters, with as many as nine individual fruits growing together on a mature, well-established tree. They have few pests and don't need much care once they are established. Pawpaw trees are the only food of the zebra swallowtail butterfly caterpillar, another good reason to grow them.
To get the most fruit, plant at least two trees within about thirty feet of one another. Plant in spring after buds open. Pawpaws are understory trees in the forest and prefer to be planted in rich, moist soil in partial sun. Do not plant them in direct sun. Keep the tree well-watered during its first season to help it adjust.
The pawpaw fruit starts out bright green, turning yellow then gold when it is ripe. When they turn brown, they are overripe. Ripe fruit may feel rotten, but if it is not dark brown, it is edible. Pawpaw fruit grows from three to six inches long and ripens from mid-August to October and should come off the tree with a gentle tug.
To eat a pawpaw, cut off one end of the pawpaw fruit and peel away the skin. Use a peeler or a paring knife. Remove any flesh that is rust-colored, it won’t taste good. Cut the peeled fruit in half, remove the seeds, and eat the sticky creamy flesh raw with a spoon. Pawpaws also freeze well, to use later in recipes, or to eat slightly thawed like ice cream. Or use pawpaw flesh to make breads or pies. Use an equal amount of pawpaw for any recipe calling for mango or banana. Try adding a cup of pawpaw to your favorite cheesecake recipe for a delicious surprise.
The pawpaw is a nearly forgotten native fruit that needs to be tasted to be appreciated, as it surely won’t win any beauty contests. The first taste will prove why it was so beloved back in the day.
Who remembers the song “Elderberry Wine” by Elton John? Not one of his most popular hits, but a fun song none-the-less. Wine isn’t the only thing you can make with elderberries, but it sure is good.
The North American black elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is a large native shrub/small tree related to the honeysuckle. Elderberries are easy to grow, non-invasive, beautiful additions to the landscape. Clusters of large white flowers in the summer turn into bunches of black berries. Not only are they attractive plants, but the edible flowers and fruit are high in vitamins A, B and C, antioxidants, and contain lots of phosphorus and potassium.
Elderberries thrive in moist, fertile, well-drained soil, and will grow in just about any soil type, as long as it is not dry. Deer and pests don’t like them, and they do not suffer from diseases like other fruit trees. Plant elderberries in the spring, spacing plants six to ten feet apart. Keep them well watered for the first year until they are established.
Let your elderberry bushes grow wildly their first three years. Then starting the fourth year, prune them annually. Remove any dead, damaged, or weak canes in late winter/early spring when the plant is dormant. Older canes can drain the plant’s energy and make it prone to winter damage. Prune them out, and leave an equal number of one-, two-, and three-year-old canes.
If you would like more elderberry plants, try propagating them from prunings. Take a twelve-inch cutting from living canes of the previous season’s growth. Plant them about a foot apart with the top bud exposed. Transplant them early the following spring. Suckers from a mature plant can also be dug up and replanted.
The elderberry plant produces tiny edible berries in small clusters, which makes mechanical harvesting very difficult. Because of this, and because elderberries do not transport well, elderberries are not commercially produced. So, you will just have to plant your own. Birds love elderberries, so cover the plants with netting to keep a harvest for yourself.
The berries are extremely tart and must not be eaten raw but are sublime when cooked down with sugar in pies, syrups, jams, jellies, juices and yes - wine.
Elderberry harvest season is from mid-August to mid-September. The clusters of berries ripen over a period of between five to fifteen days. Once ripened, harvest the fruit and strip it from the cluster. Store the berries in the refrigerator and use as soon as possible.
Elderberry has a long history as a folk remedy. An excellent cordial can be made from steeping mashed elderberries in vodka or another spirit, then straining it. The resulting tincture is said to be good medicine for colds or digestive issues.
Making wine is an age-old method of food preservation. Elderberry wine is well worth the effort. There are many recipes that can help turn elderberries into delicious wine with only about six months of fermentation. Elderberry wines can be a bit tart, but dry and delicious.
Make elderberry syrup by boiling elderberries and spices, reducing the liquid by half. Strain and add honey to sweeten it. Freeze the syrup and store it until you need it. Elderberry syrup is a wonderful herbal remedy for colds and flu, and for flavoring teas.
Many gardeners and cooks know about the berries that are especially popular in European cuisine. But before the berries come the flowers, which are tasty and useful themselves. Elderflowers have an unmistakable scent and flavor.
Harvesting elderflowers is a late spring tradition in many parts of the world. A mesh bag is best for harvesting elderflowers. The blooms are delicate, and an airless container will make them turn brown and lose their beneficial components and flavor. Take less than half of the flowers in order to save some to make berries later in the summer.
You can use the blooms fresh dried. Dry them on a screen for several days. Store dried flowers in paper bags in a cool, dry location. Try throwing a handful of fresh or dried flowers into cake batter or pancake mix. Steep dried elderflowers in boiling water for a simple, soothing tea that can relieve symptoms of the common cold. Or just drink it to enjoy elderflower’s intoxicating scent.
Lori Rose, the Midnight Gardener, is a Temple University Certified Master Home Gardener and member of GardenComm: Garden Communicators International. She has gardened since childhood, and has been writing about gardening for over twenty years.