Elderberry Ketchup

Here is a very old recipe for Elderberry Ketchup. When making this recipe, be sure that you are using the berries from the European Elder, Sambucus nigra, as berries from other varieties may cause nausea and vomiting.

Elderberry Ketchup

• 1 pint Elderberries,
• 1 oz Shallots
• 1 blade Mace
• 1/2 oz Peppercorns
• 1 1/2 oz whole Ginger
• 1 pint Vinegar

Pick the berries (which must be ripe) from the stalks, weigh and wash them. Put them into an unglazed crock or jar, pour over the boiling vinegar and leave all night in a cool oven. Next day, strain the liquor from the berries through a cloth tied on to the legs of an inverted chair and put it into a pan, with the peeled and minced shallots, the ginger peeled and cut up small, the mace and peppercorns. Boil for 10 minutes, then put into bottles, dividing the spices among the bottles. Cork well.

From: A Modern Herbal