Elderberries on the tree about to be made into healing syrup!
I know it's summer, and everyone's healthy in the summer, but last night I came down with a cold, or the flu, or who knows what, but my throat was sore and my body ached so bad! So at breakfast this morning while reading the 2015 Farmer's Almanac I discovered the secret (or not so secret) healing powers of elderberries. And since it's elderberry season and our trees are flourishing with beautiful, dark berries, I thought I'd try it out! First of all, elderberries are packed with immunity supporting vitamins and nutrients so they really help strengthen your body against attacks by evil little microbes and viruses and bacteria. In Europe and Asia elderberries have been used to cure sicknesses for centuries, and now North America is finally catching on, too! Many health food stores are jumping on the elderberry-wagon and selling elderberry syrup pre-made for kids and adults during flu-season. Well, since I have tons of it in the orchard, I thought I'd just try making some myself! All you need is...
1 cup elderberries
1 cup raw local honey
3 cups water
3 simple ingredients to banish the flu and cold forever! fresh elderberries - raw local honey - water
It's so simple, and you barely have to do anything to make your very own awesome healing-potion! Boil the elderberries and water for about 30 minutes, then strain the berries into the syrup and add the raw honey. I filled my syrup into a pretty bottle and am keeping it in the fridge, but it probably won't last long! Usually, if you're not sick, take 1 tablespoon daily. If you're sick (like me) you can have 1 teaspoon every 15-30 minutes until you feel better.
Here's the result, a beautiful ruby color with an amazing floral and honey flavor. Since this morning I've had tons of these little elderberry shots, I've been enjoying it!
Finished immunity boosting syrup!
Another really yummy idea, which is what I've been drinking all day, is 1 tablespoon elderberry syrup + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in a full glass of cold water. It's tangy, and that might not be a palatable flavor for everyone, but try it out and adjust the mix to your liking. It's energizing and yummy and has a beautiful pink color.