COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Call it the ultimate elderberry taste test.
University of Missouri researchers will soon be comparing the flavors of six different types of elderberry juice - with names such as Wylde Wood, Ocoee, York and Adam's II - as a way to help elderberry producers make better juice and command higher prices, the Columbia Missourian reported.
The elderberry research is one of four Columbia projects awarded U.S. Department of Agriculture grants to research specialty crops.
Researchers will taste the juice from the different varieties and compare flavors. They will then sort the juices into groups such as "fruity floral" and "musty dusty."
Terry Durham, who cultivates elderberries at his Eridu Farms near Hartsburg, said elderberries have a wide variety of flavors that need to be identified.
"This is an excellent initiative because we're trying to develop selections that grow well and taste well, and this can help us with that," he said.
Michele Warmund, a professor in the Division of Plant Sciences at MU, said the research will help identify undesirable or "off" flavors in certain varieties.
The $18,912 awarded to fund elderberry research is distributed among four local projects focused on specialty crops including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and nursery crops.