Elderberry substitute

Substitutes for Elderberry with ratios

1. 2Blackberries with lemon juice and a splash of red wine

   Different taste

   Use the same amount by weight, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp red wine per cup

   The widely available option, corrected for both the acidity and the tannin that blackberries lack.

   What changes

   Best for

   fruit soups, jams and compotes, pies and crumbles, sauces, syrups

   Reliable and easy to source, and the two additions are what make it work. Blackberries alone are sweet and jammy, so the result tastes like a pleasant blackberry dessert rather than the darker, more austere thing elderberry gives you. Lemon supplies the missing sharpness and the red wine supplies tannin and a savoury note. If you would rather avoid alcohol, a tablespoon of strongly brewed black tea does the same job. Expect a looser set in jam, since blackberries have less pectin.

2. 3Dried elderberries

   Different texture

   Use ⅓ cup dried for every 1 cup fresh, simmered 20 minutes in water to cover

   The real fruit in dried form, sold in herb shops and online far more widely than fresh berries ever are.

   What changes

   Best for

   syrups and cordials, fruit soups, jellies, sauces, out-of-season cooking

   This is the answer most people miss, and it is the only option on the list that actually tastes of elderberry. Rehydrate by simmering in water to cover for 20 minutes, then use the berries and their liquid together. The flavour is slightly more concentrated and a touch more raisiny than fresh, with less of the fresh winey brightness. Because they are already destemmed and will be cooked, they also remove both of the practical problems with fresh elderberries at once.

3. 4Concord grapes or Concord grape juice

   Different texture

   Use the same amount by weight of grapes, or 1 cup juice per cup of berries

   The slip-skin American grape whose musky, foxy aroma sits close to elderberry's.

   What changes

   Best for

   cordials and syrups, fruit soups, jellies, sorbets, drinks

   Genuinely close on aroma, which is why it works better than most berries for anything liquid, and the deep purple colour is right too. Concord grapes are much sweeter and much less acidic, so add lemon juice to taste and cut the recipe's sugar substantially, often by half. They also have seeds and slip skins, so cook and sieve them rather than using them whole. Bottled Concord juice, unsweetened if you can find it, is a fine shortcut for a Danish-style fruit soup.

4. 5Blueberries with lemon and black tea

   Different taste

   Use the same amount by weight, plus 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp strong black tea per cup

   The everyday supermarket answer, propped up with acid and tannin to get it into the right register.

   What changes

   Best for

   fruit soups, compotes, sauces, pies, syrups

   Available anywhere and much the mildest option here, so it needs the most help. Blueberries are sweet and gentle with almost no tannin, and left alone they produce something that looks right and tastes far too tame. The lemon brings the acidity up and the black tea brings the dry, tannic grip that carries elderberry's character. Even so, the finished dish reads as blueberry with attitude rather than as elderberry, and it will not set well in a jelly.

5. 6Ready-made elderberry syrup or concentrate

   Different texture

   Use 2 to 3 tbsp for every cup of fresh berries called for

   Bottled elderberry syrup, sold in most health shops and Nordic and German grocers, already cooked and sweetened.

   What changes

   Best for

   drinks and cordials, sauces and glazes, desserts, flavouring a milder berry base

   The fastest route to accurate elderberry flavour, and useful stirred into a compote or sauce made from blackberries to make it taste correct. Two cautions. It is heavily sweetened, so cut the recipe's sugar back and taste before adding any. And it provides no fruit, no bulk and no pectin, so it cannot carry a pie filling or a jam on its own. Add it off the heat to keep the flavour bright, and ignore any health claims on the label.