Harvesting & Post-Harvest Handling
- Blue elderberries are typically harvested between mid-June and mid-September
- When ripe, a dusty white bloom forms on the berries and can be harvested as the white bloom fades
- Berries are removed from stems prior to processing, and destemming equipment exists at different scales
- Elderberries contain many vitamins and high amounts of bioactive flavonoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids linked to antioxidant activity
- Stems and green berries contain cyanogenic glycosides, a harmful substance that can cause health issues
Elderberry & Elderflower Processing
- This section describes techniques for freezing and drying elderberries since these are the two most common raw states for berries to be sold.
- Elderflowers are most commonly sold in their dried form.
- Elderberry and elderflower are also used to make a wide range of value-added products, which can be made on the farm or by a co-packer.
Elderberry Marketing and Sales Channels
- There is significant market potential for elderberry – globally and locally.
- Value-added elder products are manufactured at different scales across the supply chain: by on-farm value-added producers, herbalists, specialty food entrepreneurs, and nutraceutical corporations.
- Both processors and retailers express strong interest in California-grown elderberries, and 67% of elder processors surveyed said they did not find enough supply to meet their needs.
- Prices for elderberry offer substantial opportunity for profitability, but vary significantly across market channels.