elderberry destemmer ?

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elderberry destemmer ?
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gil
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 08 8:37 pm Post subject: elderberry destemmer ?
or other methods for destalking large amounts of elderberries ? Anyone got any good ideas how, or what kind of device ? going slowly demented with a fork.....

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 08 8:39 pm Post subject:
I'm sure that at least a couple of people have said that they don't bother destemming at all.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 08 8:41 pm Post subject:
Ah ha, that was elderflower.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 08 8:43 pm Post subject:
Too many stems can make the wine taste woody and bitter.

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 08 8:47 pm Post subject:
I just use my fingers - they turn a disgusting colour and stay that way for several days, but it's MUCH easier than faffing around with a fork .

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 08 8:49 pm Post subject:
fingers here as well, quicker than a fork for me.

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 08 8:53 pm Post subject:
how about an afro comb? just and idea, never tried it.........

jamila169

Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 218
Location: North Derbyshire

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 08 9:59 pm Post subject:
mmm When i was doing the nursery run earlier there were loads at the sides of the footpath - now I'm wondering what nigel would say if I came back loaded down This is someone who conveniently forgot the collecting bag when he was taking the dog down the woods the other day I'd use finger though - preferably while watching telly so i don't realise how tedious a job it is

2steps

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 5349
Location: Surrey

Posted: Thu Sep 11, 08 10:49 am Post subject:
I found a nit comb was good for de stalking the flowers, might work for berries too

James

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 2866
Location: York

Posted: Thu Sep 11, 08 1:50 pm Post subject:
I use a fork How much is a lot? I've got an idea for a grape crusher/ destemer (I've planted a lot of grapes...) which would probably work if you have a lot of elderberries

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Thu Sep 11, 08 1:57 pm Post subject:

marigold wrote:

I just use my fingers - they turn a disgusting colour and stay that way for several days, but it's MUCH easier than faffing around with a fork

Medical gloves, very useful in these situations.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Thu Sep 11, 08 2:37 pm Post subject:

James wrote:

How much is a lot? I've got an idea for a grape crusher/ destemer (I've planted a lot of grapes...) which would probably work if you have a lot of elderberries

About 180lb of berries off the stem

Went

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 6968

Posted: Thu Sep 11, 08 3:12 pm Post subject:
Could you use something like an adapted or specially made bilberry comb - might get most of the stems off and then they could be picked over to remove the rest?

James

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 2866
Location: York

Posted: Thu Sep 11, 08 3:57 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

James wrote:

How much is a lot? I've got an idea for a grape crusher/ destemer (I've planted a lot of grapes...) which would probably work if you have a lot of elderberries

About 180lb of berries off the stem

My idea is similar to the pulp-master but instead of cutting, it beats the fruit of the stems, creating a soft fruit pulp with stems that can be 'sieved' off.

Its a bit involved, but you'd have it for ever, and it'd take a few minutes to de-stem all your fruit.

So here's the idea: get a length (maybe 2ft?) of threaded steel rod, on one end screw a bolt so it sits about 1cm up the thread, super glue into position, let it set. Get a 1" by 8" length of mild steel, drill a hole in the centre large enough to pass the threaded rod through and two smaller holes to put little screws in. Put the steel T-piece onto the rod beneath the glued in place bolt, then bolt into place with another bolt at the very end of the thread. Then screw an 8" length of broom handle to the steel T-piece. Rap the whole lot in loads of layers of fibreglass sheet and resin, including the threaded stem.
To use it, you'll need to drill a hole in a wooden board large enough to pass the threaded rod through. Attach the rod to a drill , fill a bucket with berries on stems, put the board (with drill and fruit basher attached) over the bucket and turn drill on low. This should beat the berries off the stems and leave the stems reasonable in tact. Now get an off-cut of 3/4" chicken mesh and pass the berry/ stem mix through. The berry mush will pass through, the stems will remain on the mesh.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Thu Sep 11, 08 4:07 pm Post subject:
Ta dahhh! And in our conversation last night Gil, who did we think might come up with a mechanical solution? James you're a marvel. Course it might not work but you are still a marvel. Fingers and gloves for me however.

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