Every month I like to share a personal crush. This can be anything from an app, a recipe, a plant, a book, a human, a local business, etc.
Welcome to my first Substack edition of my month’s crush.
Elderberry syrup
Don’t wanna read the entire blog? No problem, i’ve got ya! Here’s the recipe:
Recipe:
1 part fresh elderberries (if using dried berries, use 3/4 part instead)
1 part water
1/4 part local honey
1/6 part fresh ginger root (optional)
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
*You can add any additional ingredients you’d like. For example, some people like to add Echinacea as well. Same as, you don’t have to add anything to the syrup other than the berries if you don’t want to. Make it your own!
Instructions:
-Thoroughly clean the berries and remove them from the stems (this is the tedious part; but with a podcast or a good playlist, it helps.).
-Add the water & berries to your pot and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat and let them slowly simmer in your pot (uncovered!) for 45 min-1 hour. You’ll notice the water level going down quite a bit. That’s okay! You just don’t want to loose more than 3/4 of your water. If that becomes the case, just add more water, bring to a boil again, and let simmer until the 1-hr is up.
-Once finished cooking, set aside and let the mixture cool down for at least 20 minutes.
-Strain your berries out. I used a nut milk bag so I could squeeze out as much of the berry juice, from the berries, as I could. (it’s a very messy job though. Wearing an apron is highly recommended! It stains.) You can also use a slotted spoon or a mesh strainer. I even tried using a french press - which worked fine - but I ended up liking the reusable nut bag best.
-Once everything is strained out, add your local honey and mix until well dissolved.
-Lastly, wait until the syrup is completely cool, seal and add to your refrigerator! Your syrup should be good for 6 months.
You can take a good tablespoon every day for health maintenance and prevention. But I’m no doctor so please google it your self AND don’t feed it to your child (especially under 1 year old) unless you’ve done your research and spoke to your healthcare provider.
And like Alexis Nikole would say: “Happy snacking. Don’t die!”
Now… on to the blog part:
Up until now I hadn’t come across a black Elderberry tree in my area. Knowing the many natural health benefits of elderberries (especially for colds & flu season), Elderberry syrup had been a staple in our house for almost a decade. I had been purchasing already made elderberry syrup and last year, I bought dried elderberries and added them to my homemade tea blends too.
Then, I saw it. A post was made in our neighbourhood’s Facebook Free Exchange group. Someone had ripe berries ready to be harvested and she was sharing the bounty. I grabbed my basket, my family, and my scissors and went on walking.
She was right! They were plump, ready, and the perfect shade of dark purple/blue/red. Three huge elderberry trees lined the outside of her yard and my eyes just lit up upon seeing them. I was psyched!
After gawking at the trees, my daughter and I happily sniped some berry clusters, making sure we were only taking what we needed while leaving plenty for others, for nature, and for regrowth.
I came back home excited, happy and oh so grateful to the land and to the human being sharing the wealth.
What are your thoughts on Elderberries or natural medicines?
Have you ever made your own syrup? I’d love to know!
Where can I get elderberries please and thank you.