In the UK now, we are slipping into Autumn. Although this season is very beautiful with all the flame-coloured trees, it is also the time when our immune systems can be challenged by colds and flu. But nature has provided us with a free immune-booster that is also delicious to drink – Elderberry Elixir.
Elderberries are a real powerhouse. They contain many vitamins, particularly vitamin C, and are high in antioxidants which quench the free radicals that run around our body and ‘rust’ us on the inside. They are also able to ease inflammation in the body.
Most of today’s chronic diseases are aggravated by high-inflammation so elderberries are your ally in staying well generally. They are also a powerful immune booster. These purple berries also contain a flavanol called quercetin which helps to deliver zinc into our cells where it can stop most viruses from reproducing, including Covid.
THE RECIPE
Here is my favourite elixir recipe:
INGREDIENTS
- 250g ripe fresh, elderberries (or 125g dried elderberries). It’s not an exact recipe so don’t worry about being too precise.
- Enough water to cover the berries in the pan by about 2cm
- 1 level tsp cinnamon powder
- A peeled, slice of fresh ginger (roughly chopped) or half a tsp of ginger powder
- ½ tsp ground cloves or 2 whole cloves
- 1 dried star anise
- Raw honey to taste (manuka honey is best if your budget allows)
WHAT TO DO
Remove all the elderberries from the stalks. An easy way to do this is with a fork that you pull through the berries and they then fall off.
- Wash the berries and put them into a saucepan with the water and spices.
- Simmer for 20-30 minutes uncovered so that it can reduce a little
- Mash the elderberries in the saucepan with the back of a spoon
- Strain the liquid through a sieve (you can put the cooked berries on the compost)
- Let the liquid cool and then add the honey to taste. It’s important that the honey is added after the cooking as the heat would destroy its natural vitamins and enzymes.
Simply bottle it up and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It also freezes well.
Take a tablespoon a couple of times a day through the winter or we just have a small shot glass of the elixir in the morning.
We are lucky to have wild elderberry trees next to our garden but if you can’t get fresh you can always buy dried ones online. As this is a medicinal elixir it is best to get organic ones and you can get these here:
If you would like to deep dive on elderberries, please go here:
https://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/natural-health-guide/benefits/elderberry
N.B. Raw elderberries are poisonous and don’t taste nice anyway so please don’t eat them without cooking them first!