Coffee anyone ?

[Mini Horses]

Then, of course, there is always elderberry wine. You know, just a "tonic" for what ails you.

Such tonics have great uses!

 

[AmberLops]

@AmberLops

Elderberry keeps the flu virus from multiplying. You might have the flu, but the original virus will die off and cannot keep making more virus, so in about a week or so, you are much better.


Elderberry Honey Syrup
2 cups dried Elderberries
6 cups Filtered Water
2 oz sliced, peeled ginger root, cut into small pieces
36 oz (Net Wt) Raw/Unfiltered Honey (Local honey is best) or less, to taste

Combine Elderberries, ginger and water.
On stovetop heat until boiling. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour into large fine screen strainer over a large bowl. Using large spoon, stir, scrape, mash berries until most of the fruit is off seed and moisture is squeezed out. Rinse strainer with an additional 1/2 to 1 cup more of filtered water, to get all the residual goodness of the berries.

Cool to body temp and add honey. Heating raw honey destroys the enzymes, that give honey it's healing qualities.
Pour into 1/2 gallon canning jar or 2 quart canning jars and refrigerate. I put some in a used honey bottle for easier dispensing.

To minimize risk of getting the cold/flu virus, take 1 Tablespoon of this syrup daily, during cold season, or when you suspect you might get a cold. If you do get a cold, start taking 2 Tbsp three times daily for the duration of the illness plus 3-4 days.

@Devonviolet gave me this recipe. You can get dried berries on Amazon.

Thank you so much!! I appreciate it
I will buy some elderberries and make this stuff as soon as I can!

 

[Baymule]

Coffee is ready!

 

[Mini Horses]

Good morning all -- up, awake, sunshine

Great cup of coffee here -- have some! Need to go out for chores, then to work.


There's a lot of honey in the elderberry syrup. This one is very similar, less honey, which is expensive. The rose hips & euchinacea root are optional. I got it from a site that has a number of this type of holistic plant uses. Haven't tried it but plan to soon...when I have enough berries. I'm not buying so long as they are free! Also got one with Brandy...uhhh, brandy & honey great preservatives. Sounds like an evening liquer. These are a couple options for all to consider.


Elderberry Cold & Flu Syrup

Yield: 16 oz.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup dried elderberries (or you can get elderberries on Amazon if MRH is sold out!)

2 cups filtered water
1 cinnamon stick (or 1 Tbsp. cinnamon chips)
6 whole cloves
2 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger (or 2 tsp. dried ginger root)
1 Tbsp. Echinacea root
1 Tbsp. rosehips
zest of 1 lemon (or orange)
1 cup raw unfiltered honey (substitute this with maple syrup, vegetable glycerin, or another sugar if making for a baby under 12 months)

DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan, combine everything but the honey (heating honey up past a certain temperature can cause it to lose all of it's natural antibacterial/antiviral properties).

Over high heat, bring the elderberry mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove elderberry mixture from heat and strain through a mesh strainer, making sure to squish out all the juice that you can.

Mix honey into the strained juice and stir until completely melted and mixed together.

Store in a glass bottle or jar in the refrigerator! This homemade elderberry cold and flu syrup will keep for up to 6 months in the fridge.

TO USE

Children 2+ years take 1/2 Tbsp. (for babies under 2 years take 1 tsp.) hourly, at the onset of symptoms and taper off to 4 times daily as you get better. If you are trying to build immunities, take 3 times daily at least one week before a trip or whatever you are preparing for.
Children and Adults 12+ years take 1 Tbsp. hourly, at the onset of symptoms and taper off to 4 times daily as you get better. If you are trying to build immunities, take 3 times daily at least one week before a trip or whatever you are preparing for.

TIP

The honey is added at the end of the process and not during the cooking process because honey keeps its antiviral and antibacterial properties at a certain temperature. As long as you do not boil the honey, but instead add it to the already cooked product, you will not destroy the good viral fighting properties that you are trying to use in your syrup. Also always make sure that your honey is raw and unfiltered, as that is the best kind of honey with healing benefits.


Elderberry Elixir Recipe

yields 1 quart

Ingredients

• 14 oz dried elderberries
• ½ oz dried marshmallow root
• ½ oz fresh ginger, cut in thin slices
• 1 cup raw local honey
• 1 ½ cups brandy
• cooking pot
• metal ruler

Directions

1. Combine elderberries, marshmallow root and ginger with 5 cups of water in a pot. Bring to a boil and with the lid on, let simmer for 2 hours.

2. Remove lid. Measure height of liquid in pot with a metal ruler.

3. Without lid, let the decoction simmer on medium heat until ½ of the liquid has evaporated.

4. Pour through a strainer and press the remaining liquid out of the plant material. You can offer the spent plant material to your compost Goddess.

5. While the decoction is still warm, add 1 cup raw local honey and stir with a whisk until the honey is completely dissolved.

6. Add 1½ cups brandy.

Bottle, label and store in a dark cool place. No need to refrigerate, honey and alcohol are great preservatives.

Elder blessings, Susanna Raeven

 

[Devonviolet]

Check with @Devonviolet (it may be in her journal), she's the resident "pusher" for the health benefits of elderberry syrup. I bought some elderberry Kombucha at the healthy food store, I had been given a quart of homemade raspberry the week before. Mostly they both tasted like vinegar! Sounds weird but oddly enticing.

Yes, @Baymule posted my recipe. We collect elderberries every summer, and make Elderberry syrup.

I’m a huge proponent of Kombucha, Kefir and raw sauerkraut, as they are an excellent source of probiotics. Eighty percent of our immune system resides in our gut. So, eating probiotics is the best way to stay healthy. My personal opinion, is that eating fermented/cultured foods, on a daily basis, is a much better way to consume probiotics. It’s also a lot cheaper than taking commercial probiotic capsules.

Yes, Kombucha is on the sour side, depending on how long it was fermented. It is left at room temp, with a cloth cover, to allow fermentation gasses to escape. The bacteria, in fermented foods, consume the sugars in the food, that they are culturing. Since I follow a low-carb lifestyle, I prefer the more sour version, of Kombucha, since it makes it lower in carbs. I make my own Kombucha, and it gets rather sour. To make it more palatable, I dilute it in my drinking water. On a hot day, it is rather refreshing over ice.

The “flavored” Kombucha found in the healthfood store, is made by adding some kind of fruit (like elderberries, blueberries, peaches, mango, strawberries, ginger, etc.) to the finished Kombucha. It is then sealed and placed in the refrigerator for a few days. Since the fermentation gasses can’t escape, it creates a natural carbonation, to the Kombucha. I love Kombucha this way. I have never tried Elderberry Kombucha. My favorite is to add a few chunks of candied ginger to the Kombucha for what is called a “second ferment”. It is YUMMY!!!

 

[Devonviolet]

There's a lot of honey in the elderberry syrup. This one is very similar, less honey, which is expensive.

Since I have cut way down on my carb intake, I have tried a low carb version of an Elderberry Elixer, using dried stevia leaves (which is a non-toxic carb free sweetener). However, it tastes like artificial sweeteners, and I’m not crazy about that aftertaste.

Soooo . . . I’m still looking for a lower carb version of Elderberry Elixer. I may just have to try your version, Mini Horses.

 

[AmberLops]

I'm so glad I have recipes now!! I'm gonna make some Elderberry syrup as soon as I can
Thanks everyone for sharing the recipes!
@Devonviolet I can't stand the taste of stevia either...the aftertaste is so artificial. I used to grow stevia and it's really good fresh but you can't do much with it in that form!
What about Agave? It tastes good...I don't know if it's lower in carbs but it might be

 

[AmberLops]

I'm having my 30th cup of coffee right now
My AC is broken and my house is now 90 degrees...fun. I had a busy day planned for breaking apart a bunch of pallets and making nesting boxes, I have to get more hay for the rabbits today...now I have to wait for the AC guy to come and apparently he's coming "sometime today"

 

[greybeard]

"You might have the flu, but the original virus will die off and cannot keep making more virus, so in about a week or so, you are much better."
Which is about the same length of time flu takes to run it's course even if one takes nothing whatsoever for it.

 

[AmberLops]

"You might have the flu, but the original virus will die off and cannot keep making more virus, so in about a week or so, you are much better."
Which is about the same length of time flu runs it's course even if one takes nothing whatsoever for it.

It prevents the flu from becoming worse and it boosts your immune system to help fight it off.