I grow elderberries right here on the farm. I don't grow enough of them.
Between what goes into syrup, tinctures, and everything else I make with them, I go through more elderberries in a season than my bushes can produce, even with more going in the ground as I can manage. So I supplement what I grow with berries from an outside supplier, and I'm picky about who that is.
Why I Don't Just Buy Elderberries From Anywhere
Once something is going into a product people are eating, I want to know more about it than "it's an elderberry." Quality and cleanliness can vary a lot depending on where and how something was grown, dried, and handled before it ever reaches me.
So before I trust a supplier with a single order, I want to see what they actually test for, not just take their word for it.
What I Actually Look At Before I Trust a Batch
The supplier I use runs lab testing on their dried elderberries, and I go through the results myself before I buy. Here's what's actually being checked:
- Pesticide residue. Every batch is screened across a wide panel of pesticides. The berries I've reviewed have come back clear.
- Heavy metals. Testing for things like lead, cadmium, and mercury, contaminants that can show up in soil and get pulled into a plant as it grows.
- Mold, bacteria, and other microbial contamination. This is a basic food safety check on the raw berries themselves before they're ever cooked down into anything.
- Moisture content. This tells you how properly the berries were dried, which affects both quality and how well they hold up in storage.
None of this is required of a small farm business like mine. It's just how I decide who I'm willing to buy from when I can't grow enough myself.
One Step I Never Skip Before They Go In the Pot
Whether they came from my own bushes or from my supplier, every elderberry gets treated the same way once it's in my kitchen: cooked, never raw.
Raw elderberries, along with other parts of the plant, contain compounds that can cause stomach upset. That's why they always get simmered before I use them for anything, not soaked, not blended fresh, simmered.
Why This Matters to Me
I can't personally inspect a field I don't own. What I can do is only work with a supplier who's willing to show their work, and be honest with you about where the rest of my elderberries come from instead of letting you assume every single one grew on this property.
Curious what goes into my elderberry syrup? Shop elderberry products and see what I make with berries I trust, whether they came from my own bushes or not.
Source: Oregon State University Extension and University of Maine Cooperative Extension, on cooking elderberries before consumption.