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Herbal Wisdom:  Miraculous Elderberries  |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 05 2007 : 06:17:05 AM
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I picked elderberries last year and made juice from them. I had to do it the old-fashioned way by crushing the berries after cooking them. So, I didn't get as much juice as I was hoping for. I only got 6 quarts.
All winter, I was drinking a few tablespoons a day. My dh and daughter didn't believe me and wouldn't even try it. They each got two colds and the flu once. I never got a thing.
Having only one quart left, I stopped drinking it and was trying to save that last quart. Last Friday night, I came down with a nasty cold. You know the kind that gets you up during the night to go catch your nose!? Sneezing, coughing the whole shebang. Saturday morning I dug that last quart out and drank most of it. That afternoon I felt better and by Sunday morning the cold was completely gone! A one day cold! I love this stuff.
If you have elderberries in your area, go get them! They are well worth the effort. I now have a steam juicer that I picked up at a flea market for cheap. This will ensure I get more juice out of the berries than hand mashing will ever do.
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
We come from Nature, we go back to Nature; health & happiness in between requires intimacy with Nature. |
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mommom
True Blue Farmgirl
854 Posts
Susan
Lancaster
Pennsylvania
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2007 : 07:04:06 AM
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| Thank you for the information! Have you ever tried the capsules? Do you think they work as well? Susan |
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sherone_13
True Blue Farmgirl
2460 Posts
Sherone
Evanston
WY
USA
2460 Posts |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2007 : 12:16:40 PM
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I have never tried the capsules, Susan, so I don't know if they work as well. The best part is that elderberries grow wild here and are free for the taking!
Sherone, currents are sweeter than elderberries. You have to add quite a bit of sugar to make elderberries palatable. So, I don't think the birds eat them except as a last resort. However, the bears like them. I carry a side arm or when my dh goes with me he carries his side arm.
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
We come from Nature, we go back to Nature; health & happiness in between requires intimacy with Nature. |
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greyghost
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
Lynn
Summerville
Georgia
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2007 : 4:16:53 PM
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| Lisa, how did you store it all winter? And did you add sugar to it at once, when you made it, or just before you drank it? |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2007 : 2:23:05 PM
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Lynn, I sweetened it while processing for canning. Most of it, I actually sweetened with honey. When I ran out of honey, I used sugar:( I canned the juice in a regular water bath canner. I suppose if you had airtight/leakproof containers you could freeze it.
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
We come from Nature, we go back to Nature; health & happiness in between requires intimacy with Nature. |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2007 : 5:53:01 PM
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We have a HUGE filed full of elderberries. they grow in the same place where I pick blackberries. I knew elderbrrries were good for you, but having to pick so many kind of turned me off.
This new bit of info might make just a few quarts worth it after all.
I didn't get sick last year until donating blood for the 3rd time last winter. I usually try to limit that to just fall and spring. Now I remember why.
And since I share a barn with 9 other people...most of whom are non-hygenic men....the inspiration may just kick in. |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Jul 31 2007 : 06:52:38 AM
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Anna, the effort is definately worth the results. When you go out to pick them, just cut the bunch from the branch, stems and all. If you have a steam juicer (or if you can borrow one), there is no need to separate the stems from the berries. If you have to steam and hand mash them you will have to glean the berries from the stems. That can always be done in the comfort of your home rather than out in the field. Elderberries are best picked after a good frost or two. Good health to you!
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
We come from Nature, we go back to Nature; health & happiness in between requires intimacy with Nature. |
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celebrate2727
True Blue Farmgirl
989 Posts
Beth
MJF
Farmgirl
989 Posts |
Posted - Jul 31 2007 : 12:11:03 PM
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I agree wholeheartedly- Elderberries are so fantastic as a natural immune booster. The syrup is perfect to keep away all those nasties all winter long and summer too!!!!!!
for those that can't get to fresh ones- check your local nutrition store- its where I first got it- they have a syrup which works great.
blessings
beth
I Can
http://blissnblossomfarm.com
http://lifeatbnbfarm.blogspot.com
www.firehousesoapcompany.com |
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junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Jul 31 2007 : 3:44:06 PM
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I just love elderberries! They remind me of my grandmother...no one else has the patience to clean them! That musky fragrance just brings back the memory of her gathering them in her blue graniteware roaster and cleaning them.
I make pie with them, though.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jul 31 2007 : 4:01:55 PM
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Your post reminds me of how much good those berries do. There's a lot of Vitamin C in them. They reduce stress, too, and are good for your heart. There are uses for other parts of the tree, including the blossoms, the harvesting of which would of course reduce your supply of berries later. I can't remember how other parts are used. Will have to check my old notes from the workshops I took years ago with David Hoffmann.
I nursed an almost fledging robin a couple of years ago partly on our one big elderberry tree. I had to teach him how to hop on a branch and pluck the berries off. It was amazing to watch him watch me and try to figure out what I was trying to tell him. I think I learned more than he did! Oh my gosh -- I just now remembered how the berries made the most interesting color of poop come out the other end shortly after our visits to the tree.
Anyway, ever since, I've hesitated to pick the berries for myself, especially since it's been droughty here and I imagine worms are harder than usual for birds to come by. I'll go out tomorrow morning and see if the birds have left any. |
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lasagefemme
True Blue Farmgirl
65 Posts
Lisa
eastern
Washington
USA
65 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2007 : 01:10:59 AM
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Junebug....could you post your recipe for your elderberry flu syrup. I've seen several online; but am interested in how you process the berries. :) Thanks!!!
*Drink RAW milk* |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2007 : 06:02:35 AM
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Actually, Lisa, the best way to process the berries is with a steam juicer. It makes it much faster and cleaner than pushing through seive and you get FAR more juice with it too. I then add about 1 cup honey to 2 cups juice. You can use sugar if you like, but I prefer the natural sweeteners. You can also make pancake syrup with a 1:1 ratio with sugar.
Steam juicers are kind of pricey, but you might get lucky on ebay or something. I found mine at a flea market for $10. When it comes to processing elderberries, it's worth the expense.
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4116 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4116 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2007 : 4:18:49 PM
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I was able to can some elderberry juice last year, and number 2 son just came down with a cold on Sunday. So I remembered this post, and got out the juice. I was not sure what to do, so I mixed it in with some koolaid and sugar. Everyone got a glass, and #2 (sick boy) finished off the container the next morning. As of Tuesday night, he was pretty much getting over his cold, and so far no one else has come down with one. When I make juice, I put the berries, still on stems, in a cooker with water, and cook them a while. Then stain them though a towel. Nothing fancy, but works for me. Did not get any elderberries this year, but will be on the look out for more next year. Thanks for this post!!!
Michele |
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Herbal Wisdom: Miraculous Elderberries |
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Miraculous Elderberries
