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Backyard Bazaars

Backyard Elderberry Stem Wine Tannin Dryer

Harvest wild elderberry stems and leaves, dry them in garden sheds, and package natural tannin additions for home winemakers.

Startup Cost: £15 Location: Hybrid Difficulty: Easy Useful side income A few hours a week

Earning and time figures are our broad estimates, not guarantees — actual results depend on your area, your effort and demand.

Why it's left-field

Home winemakers buy bags of dried elderberry twigs prepared in your shed to add astringent flavour to homemade fruit wines.

How it works

  1. 1Harvest clean elderberry leaves and woody stems from garden bushes in late summer.
  2. 2Dry cuttings on mesh trays inside a warm, ventilated garden shed for two weeks.
  3. 3Package dried stem packs into kraft paper pouches and list on home brewing marketplaces.

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