Black elderberry is a bit of a botanical contradiction. On one hand, every part of the plant is actually toxic if you eat it raw. On the other hand, elderberry is packed with healthy nutrients and antioxidants. This is exactly why these berries are so popular—whether people are growing them in their backyards or foraging for them in the wild. If you’re looking to get in on the harvest, here are my top tips for collecting elderberry like a pro.
Mastering the Elderflower Harvest
Depending on where you live, Black elderberry flowers usually make their appearance in late May or June. They look absolutely stunning in their creamy white clusters and have that unmistakable, sweet fragrance you can smell from a mile away. You’ll know they’re ready to pick as soon as all the tiny flowers on a cluster (the “umbel”) are fully open. Here’s how to do it right:
- Only harvest on a dry day—ideally after three days of no rain to keep the pollen (and flavor!) intact.
- Always harvest the entire flower cluster.
- Bring along a pair of garden snips or pruning shears to get a clean cut.
- Place the clusters loosely in a basket so they can breathe while you head home.
Pro tip: Avoid bushes growing right next to busy roads, as you don’t want your syrup or tea tasting like car exhaust. Also, remember to leave plenty of flowers on the bush! Those blooms eventually turn into berries, which you’ll want for your late-summer harvest.
Harvesting Ripe Elderberries
By September, it’s time to head back out for the ripe berries. Just like with the flowers, you’ll want to harvest the entire cluster at once. If you see any stray green or unripe berries, pluck them off immediately. Unlike some fruits, these don’t lose their toxicity even after cooking, so you definitely want them out of the mix.
A fair warning: elderberry juice stains like crazy! I highly recommend wearing gloves and old clothes you don’t mind getting messy. Use a sharp knife to cut the clusters, and if you’re using a basket, line it with some plastic or a liner first to prevent purple stains.
