This was my first elderberry pie - we picked the berries from bushes we had planted in our backyard a few years ago. I love that this recipe has you thicken the filling before putting it in the crust because I don't like runny fruit pies. This method lets you control the thickness better. I used a full top instead of a lattice, and my son agrees that the pie tastes better on Day #2. Elderberry certainly has a unique flavor - it wasn't quite as "crunchy" (from the seeds, I imagine, because we picked these over twice to remove as many stems as possible before washing) on Day #2. I'm going to try some jam and syrup, too. We picked about 15 lbs. of berries and the bushes look like we barely touched them! Note to anyone from Western NY or Southern Ontario: we bought the bushes as bare root plants from the Erie County Conservation Tree and Shrub Seedling Program that the county runs every Spring. We bought 6 bare roots - about 12" tall at the time - and after two years the plants were VERY bushy and about 10' tall. They cost next to nothing - it's a great program to check out as they offer LOTS of other trees and plants, too. These elderberry bushes attract birds, butterflies, bees, etc. - this is the first year I got to the berries before the birds! There are lots of berries to share, though!!! Thanks for the great recipe!
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This was my first elderberry pie - we picked the berries from bushes we had planted in our...