elderberry stems

I've been taking elderberry for several years and its really helped with my respiratory infections.  I've tried drying my elderberries for the last couple of years and the little stems are just too annoying for words.  Any one have any little secret technique for getting the little stem buggers out of the elderberries for drying?

I have no personal experience but if I were you and had access to elderberries to dry I would make a fruit leather out of them straining or running through a food mill before should take the stems out. I always have sambucol on hand to aid in viral illness. I would love a source of fresh elderberries.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/dry/fruit_leathers.html

thanks Leah! 
I did consider fruit leather, but I really do not like the elderberry taste, even when I tried mixing it with other fruits.  I could experiment more with a "cover" taste, but its definitely "medicine" for me and the dried ones go down so easy, lol.

Any other ideas out there for the stems or a cover taste?

If you're in Seattle, email me privately and come finish them off tomorrow or maybe Sat, they are drying on the tree, what's left from the birds.  Someone from Vashon was excited about coming to harvest them with me, but it never worked out and its down to the last possible day or two now.

I would be there in a heartbeat if I could!  except I'm in oklahoma and if I remember right it was a 3+ hour jumpseat to seattle. I would use honey to sweeten it. or after its leather mix it up in some granola or something. Or you could just juice them and take shots when you need it. mix with a little blackberry brandy 

I dried the heck out of a handful overnight, probably lost all nutritional/medicinal value LOL but could then roll them in my hand and the dry little stems came off.  I'll try it again with a better watch on keeping temp under 115` and keep testing them to find the spot where the stems rub off easily but the berries aren't totally dried to a crisp

An easy way to seperate berries from their pesky stems is to place the berry heads on a flat tray in a single layer & pop them into the freezer for a hour or so....they pop very nicely off the stems just like tiny buttons 
Hope this helps....I've been using this technique for years......

Lacia Lynne Bailey wrote:thanks Leah! 
I did consider fruit leather, but I really do not like the elderberry taste, even when I tried mixing it with other fruits.  I could experiment more with a "cover" taste, but its definitely "medicine" for me and the dried ones go down so easy, lol.

Any other ideas out there for the stems or a cover taste?

If you're in Seattle, email me privately and come finish them off tomorrow or maybe Sat, they are drying on the tree, what's left from the birds.  Someone from Vashon was excited about coming to harvest them with me, but it never worked out and its down to the last possible day or two now.

I'm new to this forum, hello. I use red raspberries or black raspberries to cover the flavor of elderberries & to add vitamins. I do not have access to my own elderberries so I have to buy them already dried & just pick the stems out before soaking & cooking the berries. I add the raspberries about halfway through the simmer time. If you're using frozen, they should be thawed first so that the cold berries don't bring down the temp of the simmering berries. A raspberry syrup will sweeten & flavor the cooked elderberries as well. I depend on my elderberry syrup to keep me healthy while those around me are coughing & sniffling. My son loves it too & has prevented quite a few bouts of colds & other viruses spread through schools.