Saturday, February 24, 2024

GardenDC Podcast Episode 183: Elderberry

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with herbalist Susan Belsinger all about Elderberries. The plant profile is on Dill and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events and this week's garden tasks in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Winter Dreams of Spring by Christy Page of Green Prints.

See Susan's elderberry recipes at: https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/02/elderberry-recipes.html

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

GardenDC Podcast Episode 157: Ginger and Turmeric

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-157-ginger-and.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 62: Edible Flowers

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-62-edible.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 148: Serviceberries and Saskatoons

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-148.html

This episode is archived at: 
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Elderberry-e2ftili/a-a21b7q2

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

SHOW NOTES: 1:02 Get to know returning guest Susan Belsinger, herbalist and author 4:44 Susan talks about native and non-native elderberries (Sambucus sp.) 6:03 Elderberries tend to fruit the best if you have at least 2 near each another, even be two different varieties, within 60 ft of one another 6:20 Elderberry cultivars 8:25 “I can imagine that for a variegated leaf cultivar, it's not going to get as much chlorophyll uptake in it maybe, and it's not as strong a plant, but does sound like it's more apt for somebody with a smaller-sized garden or a container even” – Kathy 9:22 Full sun to part shade is optimal for elderberry growth in a home 11:02 “They don't have really deep root systems, They're fairly shallow. So a good thing is to mulch around them…to fertilize them every year with compost” – Susan 12:17 Elderberry propagation and pruning 14:50 Don’t harvest all the flowers or else you won’t have any berries! 16:18 “I always want to have elderflower tincture on hand…helping with colds and flus, and things like that” – Susan 16:38 Making elderflower cordials 17:38 How Susan makes delicious elderflower fritters 19:17 Elderflower liqueur such as St Germain 21:19 “It has just the slightest touch of musk to me, but it's somewhat honeysuckle-like, but even more delicate than honeysuckle, it's really great to be able to capture that essence whether it's dried or in a liqueur or in a tincture” – Susan 22:35 The flowers and berries are ready to harvest 2-3 years after planting the shrub 23:05 Birds and deer as potential problems with the berries 25:53 Bird netting can be used, but check it often to ensure other creatures aren’t getting caught 27:55 Harvesting techniques and steps 29:34 “You don’t want to cut a branch that has green berries on it, they need to be totally ripe. The green ones are inedible and really high in the toxins” – Susan 32:40 Benefits of using a freezer when harvesting 33:38 Using dehydrators rather than a freezer 34:47 Susan advises to not eat elderberries right from the shrub due to the toxicity, which can be lessened if heated 37:15 “I process it in small amounts and then I keep the berries or the juice in the freezer and pull it out and use it throughout the season” – Susan 38:40 Medicinal benefits of elderberries 41:54 It's antiviral, it reduces inflammation, and it strengthens the cardiovascular system and they've they're doing studies with it for cancer… and HIV... 44:08 Reach Susan via email at sbcooks@susanbelsinger.com and through her website susanbelsinger.com 45:39 Plant Profile: Dill 47:55 What’s new in the garden this week? Daffodils 48:20 Local garden events including the 2024 Maryland Orchid Society Show in Baltimore, MD 50:10 “Groundcover Revolution” by Kathy Jentz 51:30 “The Urban Garden” book 52:29 Christy Page on Winter Dreams of Spring 55:19 How to support the GardenDC Podcast

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

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Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz
Interview Edit and Show Notes: Hannah Zozobrado

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