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... is what I'm doing today. I'm bloody sick of it already.

Having lost my elder which I'd cultivated lovingly for three years (a separate story), another one has jumped to the fore. Unfortunately, it's on the boundary between us and a neighbour (obviously ) and I've promised to remove it after this year's crop. As they give us eggs, we can't complain (although we do give them apples and pears). But no - fair's fair, and they don't want the elder to spread to their garden, so this year it goes.

I'd actually thought of just ignoring it and then cutting it down later, but those berries have been pulling at me. So, yesterday and today, I've been harvesting. Which means, at some point, strigging. And, as I've said, I'm sick of it. Where are the Ish genii who could have spent this entire year inventing the Easy Strigger? Eh?

Alright, the thought of the elderberry wine is inviting. But, year after year, I curse the inevitable fact of strigging.

I must be mad.

Mike

What's strigging?

Cheers
Zoe

MKG wrote:... is what I'm doing today. I'm bloody sick of it already.

Having lost my elder which I'd cultivated lovingly for three years (a separate story), another one has jumped to the fore. Unfortunately, it's on the boundary between us and a neighbour (obviously ) and I've promised to remove it after this year's crop. As they give us eggs, we can't complain (although we do give them apples and pears). But no - fair's fair, and they don't want the elder to spread to their garden, so this year it goes.

I'd actually thought of just ignoring it and then cutting it down later, but those berries have been pulling at me. So, yesterday and today, I've been harvesting. Which means, at some point, strigging. And, as I've said, I'm sick of it. Where are the Ish genii who could have spent this entire year inventing the Easy Strigger? Eh?

Alright, the thought of the elderberry wine is inviting. But, year after year, I curse the inevitable fact of strigging.

I must be mad.

Mike

I assume you are referring to removing elderberries from the fan support structure. This has to be the easiest job in the world. Have a look.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DDYUW 18 August 2011 Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Strigging .............So its got a name .............We call it forking hell

pelmetman wrote:Strigging .............So its got a name .............We call it forking hell

No wonder the immigrants are needed.

Eh up Durgan..............you have a sense of humour

ah so that's what it means - it sounded like some bizarre and sordid sex act.

southeast-isher wrote:ah so that's what it means - it sounded like some bizarre and sordid sex act.

Similar thing - but I believe that's strigging in the rigging

Mike

Have done 17lb in one sitting, think i turned into a zombie for a few hours.

Good luck

Would a fruit comb berry picker thing work with elderberries? Take your pick from all sorts of online shops, a quick search showed them in Just Green, Harrod Horticultural, Recycle Works, Ray Mears and even on the one that used to just be a bookshop.

cideristhefuture wrote:Have done 17lb in one sitting, think i turned into a zombie for a few hours.

Good luck

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DDYUW 18 August 2011 Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) A ten minuter job to striggle pounds. Anybody looking? I am scratching my head at the replies.

Yes, I looked, Durgan. And I've been scratching my own head.

Do you simply rub the cuttings over the mesh?

Mike

EDIT: Striggle?

MKG wrote:Yes, I looked, Durgan. And I've been scratching my own head.

Do you simply rub the cuttings over the mesh?

Mike

EDIT: Striggle?

A very light brushing, removes the fruit almost effortlessly. Simply dropping very ripe cluster removes the fruit. It is incomprehensible that people would do this simple task by hand by flicking or using a fork. The mesh is readily available in most hardware stores. I have half inch, also one inch for grapes. Plastic or metal works equally well.

Ah but as already discussed Durgan, it depends what you want the berries for. If you want nice berries without all the manky bits then you have to do it by hand, which is what I do.

It's a much easier task than doing redcurrants, which turn to mush, and easier than blackcurrants as well. I just can't take the standing up for hours at a time which is exhausting!

Well, well, well. It works

I tried it with a compost sieve and the berries came off easily. Unfortunately, the mesh is a tad too small and so kept getting clogged - but the principle is sound. Guess what I'm making for next year?

Anyway, the process is entirely too ingeniously simple to be called strigging (a word which should be reserved for forking hell). As far as I'm concerned, next year I will be durganning and the mesh frame will be christened (can you guess?) a durgan. Then I thought about what a good durganload of berries should be - and, of course, that's obviously a brantford.

No more backache for me!!!!!

Mike