It has been an abundant year for elderberries! With all of the rain we have had it has plumped up the berries on all of the trees. There also has been an incredible burst of mushrooms everywhere! So at a time when the world is still dealing with a pandemic and people are struggling with ways to take care of themselves, nature is here to provide us with answers. Herbal medicine has helped us for thousands of years and it will continue to help us through these difficult times. Check out the youtube video below for important facts about elderberries. You will learn about identification, harvesting, preservation, and medicinal uses. The most important thing to note is that the flowers and berries are the only thing that can be used from the tree and they have to be cooked. Particularly the berries to make the slight toxicity in the seeds inert. This is why the most common use of the berries is to make elderberry syrup.
Using 1 cup of dried berries add some reishi mushrooms, astragalus root, cinnamon sticks, ginger root, clove bud, norway spruce tips, rose hips, white pine needles, licorice root. Add 6 cups of water bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes till it cooks down to 3 cups. Stir in a 1/2 cup of honey and put in a jar. Once it cools cover, label, and put in the fridge. Use whatever ingredients you have even if you just have cinnamon and honey it will help. I will be making small batches of syrups for sale if you aren't able to make your own. Look for them to be done early fall. I will post when they are available.
Another thing you can do is make herbal tinctures with them using either alcohol or my preferred method glycerin. They are the main ingredient in my immunity tonics that also include lemon balm, reishi, rosehips, white pine, and sometimes some of the other syrup ingredients listed above. I am hosting a strengthening immunity workshop on 10/30 from 2-4 where we will be making our own herbal tinctures for immunity. Check out my events page for more details.
There are so many ways that you can protect and strengthen your immune system naturally. I look forward to sharing more of what I know in my workshop but remember that you can take healing into your own hands. Making changes to your lifestyle, eating clean, exercising, meditating, using natural remedies and tools can be all the support that you need when fending off pathogens. Remember that nature always has the answers in supporting you for your health.