As the dog days of summer slowly creep towards fall, Elder, the medicine chest of the country people” is emerging alongside roadways reminding us of the need to prepare for the seasons to come.
Combine dried Elder flowers, which are high in vitamin C, with dried yarrow and peppermint and you’ll have an old Gypsy fever tea ready for the depths of winter. Or tincture the fresh flowers in 100 proof vodka as natural treatment for pneumonia, flu and bronchitis. Later in the season the pristine white flower heads become umbels of deep purple berries that are loaded with vitamins A & C. I make a decoction of the fresh berries, add honey to taste and some Elder flower tincture, as a preservative, for a tasty cough syrup which helps breakup and move mucus from the lungs.
For a really special treat(ment) when you come down with a cold or flu this winter try this special cordial to cure what ails you.
Elderberry Liqueur
4 cups fresh elderberries, picked over and washed
2 cups sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup water
3 cups 100-proof vodka
Crush elderberries and sugar together in bowl. Let stand for about 1 hour. Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Transfer to clean 2-quart container and add water and vodka. Cover and let stand in a cool, dark place for 1 month, shaking occasionally. Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain out solids. Discard. Transfer liqueur to clean container. Cover and age for at least 1 month before serving.
And don’t forget to freeze some of Elders abundant bounty of berries to add to your muffins, oatmeal or granola. There is nothing like the taste of summer to lift our spirits when the snow flies.
croneandgreenjeans
