Recipe Summerthyme; Elderberry syrup question

Cardinal

Cardinal

Chickministrator
_______________
OK, so this should explain why I am not a professional chef.
I am trying to make your elderberry syrup recipe for the first time.

I began by misreading the recipe ( in my defense, I am sick with a nasty cold)
So, instead of pouring boiling water over dry berries, I boiled the berries.
Could not find my wide mouth funnel to pour the liquid into the jars, so I used a colander for the liquid.
The liquid is now in jars, minus the berries. For the most part.

I can't locate the jar of honey I thought I had, so can I use a jar of strawberry preserves instead?
I do have the vodka. I get the "important" things right.
 
S

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Cardinal said:
OK, so this should explain why I am not a professional chef.
I am trying to make your elderberry syrup recipe for the first time.

I began by misreading the recipe ( in my defense, I am sick with a nasty cold)
So, instead of pouring boiling water over dry berries, I boiled the berries.
Could not find my wide mouth funnel to pour the liquid into the jars, so I used a colander for the liquid.
The liquid is now in jars, minus the berries. For the most part.

I can't locate the jar of honey I thought I had, so can I use a jar of strawberry preserves instead?
I do have the vodka. I get the "important" things right.
Click to expand...
Er...um... hmmmmm...

Do you have sugar? The recipe uses either sugar or honey... both in amounts to preserve the syrup at room temperature (with or without vodka, depending on hos much sugar/honey you use)

But if you're making a small batch, which will fit in the fridge until you use it within a month or so, the strawberry preserves (plus vodka, because even a month is a enough time for sweetened fruit juice to start getting funky in the fridge) shoukd work.

If you've made a bigger batch, I'd stash most of it in the fridge until you can get some honey, and just sweeten enough for a few days with the preserves or whatever you like for taste. Then finish off the rest of the batch with honey and vodka, and it will keep for at least a couple of years...

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Summerthyme
 
S

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Is this the recipe you're using?

Simpler Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Guys... I know that some have had trouble figuring out my Elderberry Syrup recipe as I posted it over the years. I think this will be easier for most. If you've ever made jam or jelly, you CAN make this in well under an hour! It IS that easy. Heck, if you've ever followed a recipe of any kind...
www.timebomb2000.com www.timebomb2000.com

Summerthyme
 
feralferret

feralferret

Veteran Member
We haven't been able to pick any elderberries in about ten years. There used to be a couple of thickets alongside country roads that we would pick. Always full of poison ivy, so I had to do the picking. My wife couldn't help.

I have a bottle of elderberry gummies that I got about six months ago. As soon as I came down with the flu last week, I started taking these. I was over the flu in 72 hours, so they likely helped. They are very acidic so I have to follow up with an antacid tablet when I take the gummies.
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
Sugar and booze are a good idea if there isn't a medical or personal reason for avoiding alcohol. When I started getting that terrible flu just before Christmas, I found some Nightwolf made (to his recipe), and it was probably three years old (at least) and had sat in an office, but it was fine, and I'm sure it worked.

I started taking it the first day and felt a bit "off," especially since my housemate (who is never sick) already had it. While I did get very ill, my significant fever only lasted two days, and I only had one day of that intense "My hair hurts on my head" muscle aches. I didn't feel well and wasn't OK for over a month, but I suspect I would have been in the hospital without it.

Sadly, the hedgerow berries all got cut down by the county a couple of years back (the trees were part of the hedge row), but I'm going to see what I can do about finding another source for them. Meanwhile, the rest of the remaining jar is now in the fridge, although our house is pretty cold, which may have helped delay any fermentation (as well as the vodka).
 
Cardinal

Cardinal

Chickministrator
_______________
I am really feeling like I'm getting over it today. I am certain the syrup has helped.
My niece told me that co-workers in the hospital she works at are calling it "the 100 day cold" due to it hanging on interminably.
This is day 11 for me, and I normally shake them off in 3 days.
 
S

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
I just made a new fresh batch of 60 bottles... our rural route mail lady called and asked me to ship her 30 bottles! She swears she hasn't had a bout of flu, despite almost constant contact with the public, since she started taking it 5 years ago! She takes a tablespoon before work, and again in the evening...

Summerthyme
 
S

Slydersan

Veteran Member
I have been making Summerthyme's recipe and taking it off and on for years. I can only remember being really sick once in that time frame. It was during the Omicron-wave of Covid and I had stopped taking the syrup for some reason, and I of course got Omicron and was down hard. I've had some sniffles etc. in that time frame, but nothing much more than that. I've even got my mom making the recipe and taking it. She's around 3 school-age kids all the time and rarely gets sick as well. My brother would never bother to make it himself, but he does buy the Sambucol brand of elderberry liquid when he starts feeling off.
 
anney

anney

Veteran Member
Glad you are feeling better Cardinal. I'm out of my syrup (and keep forgetting to order it!) but I do have some tablets I take fairly regularly. It seems to keep any allergies in check and when I'm exposed to the grandkids!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top