Simpler Elderberry Syrup Recipe
- Thread starter summerthyme
- Start date
WisconsinGardener
Loony Member
KMR58
Veteran Member
We just put dried berries into cheap vodka and let it sit for a couple of months to make an elixir. Then we strain out the berries. We've been doing it for years and at the first sign of any sickness we take a dropper full 3 times a day. Sickness never seems to morph into anything, just goes away.
WisconsinGardener
Loony Member
Bumping again because this is really easy. Everybody should have some.
Laurelayn
Veteran Member
Is it a black lace elderberry? they have been popular here last couple of years, because the foliage resembles japanese laceleaf maples and they tolerate full sun. you can use the berries. I have one and it is as pretty as it is useful. how is your elderberry doing? mine has grown fairly fast and the flowers are beautiful.
I just dug out my 6 year old stash of elderberry tincture . It still tastes awful,
must be good for me. My body is saying "I'll get well soon, I promise.
Just don't make me drink anymore of that stuff !"
I did find some I made with brandy that is little better than the vodka stuff.
I also made a super vitamin C cough syrup with Acerola cherries, brandy and honey.
Really yummy and works good. I just covered a quart of cherries with brandy and let them
sit for a month ,then added a little honey.
must be good for me. My body is saying "I'll get well soon, I promise.
Just don't make me drink anymore of that stuff !"
I did find some I made with brandy that is little better than the vodka stuff.
I also made a super vitamin C cough syrup with Acerola cherries, brandy and honey.
Really yummy and works good. I just covered a quart of cherries with brandy and let them
sit for a month ,then added a little honey.
Bumping for this year's iteration of flu...
Summerthyme
Summerthyme
Anyone know whether Lei squeezed the juice out of the acerola berries or if she just drained them out of the brandy? I've got a couple of acerola bushes that I planted to replace the ones that I had to leave at our old place. I also have a couple of Barbados cherry trees as well. I'd love to do this to see if I could beat the Tussin that has been my life line off and on since childhood. Taste is not a problem ... if I can hack having to take cepacol then I can handle nasty of any variety. But if the acerola is better tasting then I'm game to try.
ST - do you have any idea how long the berries and vodka only mix is good for? I have several brown bottles stored in a cool dark place from 2010. Think it's still good??
TIA
Jax
Tinctures tend to keep a LONG time. Kept cool and dark (there's always a catch!), I've used some which were 10 years old, which worked fine. I can't swear to elderberry tincture lasting that long and being effective, but I suspect it probably does...
Summerthyme
Be Well
may all be well
I just made elderberry syrup from a pound of dried elderberries and some of it is going fizzly. I only put 1 c. Ever clear (which is like 2 c. vodka). Only some has done that, the ones that were in a warmer place. Should I get it hot again, cool a bit and add more alcohol?
I've made about 5 or 6 batches of syrup (and a few tinctures) and never had this happen before.
I've made about 5 or 6 batches of syrup (and a few tinctures) and never had this happen before.
Be Well
may all be well
Hopefully Summerthyem will answer, but elderberries have some specific potency regarding preventing flu viruses from replicating. Choke cherries may have other medicinal uses but I have never read that they are similar to elderberries in usage.
deb, all the research and testing was done on elderberries as they were mentioned as home remady for years and years ("old wives tales) and they were shown effective in treating/possibly preventing Influenza A and some B's. Chokecherries are a different berry with different chemical makeup.
kittyknits
Veteran Member
If a person has some elderberries from Europe (purchased in the US) wrapped and stored in the back of the freezer--how many years would they be good for before having no potency if made into a tincture?
I didn't read this the first time around so thanks for posting it again. Since we are in the H1N1 season this year, this sounds like a very good idea. I have some juice frozen that I planned to make into jelly but will divert it to this use instead. Summerthyme, you are a real treasure for us. Thank you. And thanks to Sherbar for the good info as well.
Sorry- life got a bit busy here for a bit!
No, chokecherries aren't going to work... whatever chemicals the elderberry has that works against flu is NOT in the anthocyanins, which are what give them the pretty purple color. That color is the ONLY thing they have in common with chokecherries! (However, if you can grow chokecherries, you should be able to grow elderberries- at least around here, they grow in very similar areas)
BeWell... my recipe gives 5% alcohol by volume, which seems to be the "magic" number to ensure that things don't start to ferment most times. 10% by volume might be safer, but I've just never found it to be necessary.
I do pour all my syrup into sterile bottles (I just boil them for 20 minutes... probably not "sterile" compared to autoclaving, but it's always been sufficient for canning, etc) and cap them immediately. It should be impossible for the stuff to start fermenting without yeasts... and at least theoretically, the simmer process to blend the honey should kill off any yeast cells...
etdeb- sure, you can use any form of alcohol... it's not being used for "medicine" in this recipe, but as a preservative. The amount in the recipe is based on 80 proof... if the moonshine is close to that, just use the same amount. If it's a lot stronger, cut it back an appropriate amount..
Summerthyme
No, chokecherries aren't going to work... whatever chemicals the elderberry has that works against flu is NOT in the anthocyanins, which are what give them the pretty purple color. That color is the ONLY thing they have in common with chokecherries! (However, if you can grow chokecherries, you should be able to grow elderberries- at least around here, they grow in very similar areas)
BeWell... my recipe gives 5% alcohol by volume, which seems to be the "magic" number to ensure that things don't start to ferment most times. 10% by volume might be safer, but I've just never found it to be necessary.
I do pour all my syrup into sterile bottles (I just boil them for 20 minutes... probably not "sterile" compared to autoclaving, but it's always been sufficient for canning, etc) and cap them immediately. It should be impossible for the stuff to start fermenting without yeasts... and at least theoretically, the simmer process to blend the honey should kill off any yeast cells...
etdeb- sure, you can use any form of alcohol... it's not being used for "medicine" in this recipe, but as a preservative. The amount in the recipe is based on 80 proof... if the moonshine is close to that, just use the same amount. If it's a lot stronger, cut it back an appropriate amount..
Summerthyme
Maybe someone who has experience can help me. I ordered elderberries last week from Herbalcom as I understood it to be a reliable source of herbs. Today I get an email from Ameriherb with an attachment concerning my invoice. I did not order from Ameriherb, and I am afraid of getting a virus if I open the attachment. I was wondering if there is an association between them? Of course, both Herbalcom and Ameriherb are both closed when I call and have different numbers. The male voice on the answering machine does sound like it might be the same guy. Any suggestions other than waiting until morning and calling both of them? Has anyone had any problems with Herbalcom?
Thanks in advance,
Pinecone
Thanks in advance,
Pinecone
ST...I have a couple of questions.
The first...I am getting an order ready for Mountain Rose Herbs and they have elderberry powder. Can we use the powder to make the syrup?
Second...Have you...or anyone here...heard of or dealt with this company? If so, what is your opinion? http://www.bulkapothecary.com/categories/aromatherapy-essential-oils.html
Thanks,
Willow
The first...I am getting an order ready for Mountain Rose Herbs and they have elderberry powder. Can we use the powder to make the syrup?
Second...Have you...or anyone here...heard of or dealt with this company? If so, what is your opinion? http://www.bulkapothecary.com/categories/aromatherapy-essential-oils.html
Thanks,
Willow
Mt. Rose has excellent product. As for using a powder, not the best idea - it really does not disolve well at all and remember the more an herb is "processed" the faster it loses it's medicinal properties. Best is to use an herb in as close to it's original form as possible, i.e. elder BERRIES, dried or fresh or frozen. herbalcom.com most usually carries them and their prices are very good for all their herbs. I have used them for 20+ years with great results and service. I also order all my kitchen spices and loose teas from them.
Thanks Lei and yeah buddy are those things sour ... like citric acid on steroids. Not as bad as an unripe persimmon but wowzer just about as bad as the super sour gummy candies one of my daughter craves during certain stressful times.
I usually use mine in some other kind of juice like orange or apple. Doesn't take much. On their own they make a pretty descent lemonade sub ... but you gotta use almost too much sugar in my opinion and I'd rather use it for flavoring other juices sans the added sugar.
Have you read what WebMD says about the acerola?
My new planting didn't make much more than a cup or so this year but that wasn't too shabby on a first year planting in my opinion. Next year I plan on getting more ... our Home Depot sells them in season. I had several at the old house and usually got a bucketful by the time they stopped producing. Hope I can get back up to that kind of production in another two or three years depending on the weather. My star fruit (carambola) tree bloomed like an idiot but never produced, I think I was fertilizing it too much maybe ... or maybe not enough. Who knows. There is a tropical place over in St. Pete and I'm gonna go ask them some questions - and maybe pick up a few things - when I can get over that way in a couple of months.
Tundra Gypsy
Veteran Member
I'm ordering some dried elderberries tomorrow. Thanks again for the recipe too; you posted it once a long time ago. It needs to be reprinted about this time every year.......
Agree that I wouldn't buy powdered berries- I prefer to buy herbs as little processed (whole roots, rather than cut and sifted, for example- as long as I have a way to process them here when I use them) as possible- every time cells are broken in cutting, or crushing or powdering, you lose medicinal value... and the oxidation process is sped up. Powdered herbs have a very short shelf life, compared to whole herbs.
I'm sorry, I haven't seen that company before- no idea...
Summerthyme
I'm sorry, I haven't seen that company before- no idea...
Summerthyme
Pinecone, Long ago Ameriherb was part of a home food buying supply house, but I think they broke off and/or became Herbalcom, not sure.
Kathy, not really necessary to purchase more elderberry plants. The ones you already have growing should put out "suckers on runners" underground. You should see new stems growing about a foot or so from the parent plant. I let them get well rooted then cut the undergroiund "runner" between the new plant and the parent and replant that where it needs to be.
Kathy, not really necessary to purchase more elderberry plants. The ones you already have growing should put out "suckers on runners" underground. You should see new stems growing about a foot or so from the parent plant. I let them get well rooted then cut the undergroiund "runner" between the new plant and the parent and replant that where it needs to be.
Thank you goatlady2. I called this morning and they are part of the same company. I ordered elderberries on Dec 30th. They'll arrive by USP on January 10th. It has taken longer than I thought for them to arrive, but I will be grateful to get a new batch of syrup going! I'm almost out. I appreciate all of you sharing your knowledge, experience and sources. I wonder how many of us will come through this who otherwise might not have due to the generous sharing of information.
Pinecone
Pinecone
karen... for sure, it's every 4 hours. For tincture, I suspect you can probably get away with a teaspoon at a time, although I'd probably up it to a tablespoon if someone is acutely ill. (my own thinking has sort of evolved over time into realizing that smaller doses of this stuff do seem to be effective- since we use the syrup and it's cheap to make, I don't worry too much about "saving" it by using small amounts.)
For prevention, though, use it twice a day...
Summerthyme
For prevention, though, use it twice a day...
Summerthyme