What do you do with the elderberries you pick? Is it an herbal tincture or simply can the juice? What is the best way to preserve fresh elderberries for use as a health benefit?
I make elderberry syrup and we take it during the winter. I froze the berries with 2 cups to a bag and got 9 bags. This is the recipe I use, but I don't use that much honey. I use about half that much. I don't use filtered water, I use tap water. the recipe calls for dried berries, available from Amazon, but I will be using fresh this time, have used fresh before.
Elderberry-Ginger Syrup
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)
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, which give honey it's healing qualities.
Pour into 1/2 gallon canning jar or 2g, 1-quart canning jars and refrigerate. I put some in a used honey bottle for easier dispensing. Store in refrigerator.
To minimize risk of getting the cold/flu virus, take 1 Tablespoon of this syrup daily. If you do get a cold, start taking 2 Tbsp three times daily for the duration of the illness plus 3-4 days.
I actually do but, unknowingly good.
