Question about Elderberry Catsup

[Connie aka RainbowRose]

Does anyone here make Elderberry Catsup?

I am wondering, when it comes to the part of running the berries through a sieve or food press,,,,does it mean still adding in the 'mashed' berry n seeds or just the juice with what tiny bit of 'pulp' there is?

The recipes I found on the net all give the exact same ingredients and method, so I'm not. The recipes calls for 2 quarts of elderberries, then when the recipe is finished, it says it makes about one and a half quarts. I used about 3 quarts of elderberries, left out the mash berry n seeds, cooked liquid down and got only about a pint and a half.

I sure hope someone can help me with this.
Thanks, Connie

[Susu]

add the mash.....at least thats what I do with regular tomato ketchup....why is there a gazillion different ways to spell that word, anyway :/ with maters I chop then cook down then run the mash thru the food mill, mix the resulting sauce with the remaining ingredients, cook till nice & thick. end amount will depend on how thick you want it.

[Connie aka RainbowRose]

Ok Thanks Susu! LOL Just in case you would like to know,,,I have found that using a dog shedding comb (one shaped like a little rake) works 'beautifully' at plucking all those little berries off the clusters. Doesn't mash them all up, like doing by hand did.

LOL good question the 'mater' spellings ;)

[Susu]

I once saw a hand "rake" in a seed/garden catalog made specifically for picking chamomile flowers....same idea as your doggy comb berry picker, m'thinks :) let me know how your ketchup/catsup adventures go

btw, my recipe is done in the microwave~~~~~~