Summer is the time for berries and red currants. On this page recipes with elderberries, which are abundantly present in summer and free of cost. The official name for elderberry is "Sambucus Nigra". Nigra means black and sambucus derives from the Greek word for flute; people used to make flutes from the young branches. Elderberries are ripe around the end of August/beginning of September. They used to be planted around farms, probably because people believe they keep the flies away. Berries, especially unripe ones, contain a very small amount of cyanide and therefore he elderberries should not be eaten raw. Click here for other berries.