Elderberry Tonic
A fantastic medicine made from elder berries, that tastes great and can be consumed throughout the winter with lots of immune boosting benefits.
Elderberries grow wild in hedgerows in Ireland in September. They grow from the same shrub that has elder flowers in May/June. If however you can't find enough, you can buy dried elderberries online . Scientists have proven that it can beat the flu, prevents colds and strengthens immunity.
How to make elderberry tonic
Ingredients:
1 cup Elderberries
1 Tbsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground cloves
1/2 cup raw Irish honey (for every cup of strained juice)
Directions:
1. Gather the elderberries, those with a red stem are ripe. You can buy dried organic dried elderberries if you don't pick any.
2. Use a fork to pull the berries from their stems, collecting them in a pot. Give them a little rinse.
3. Add water— 1:1 cups water-to berry ratio for fresh, and 2:1 for dried.
4. Add ginger, ground cinnamon and cloves.
5. Bring to a boil on the stove, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes, then allow to cool.
6. Strain the liquid from the berries using a sieve, pressing on with a wooden spoon to get all of the juice out.
7. Add raw honey– local, if possible for the best health benefits– to the elderberry liquid. Stir until well mixed, and decant into jars. Store in the refrigerator.
Serving suggestion:
As a tonic, you can consume 1 tbsp a day, straight from a spoon. It is lovely in a cup of hot water and sipped slowly or I love to add it to my second ferment of water kefir to make a delicious festive sparkling drink which we take each morning to receive our dose of natures probiotics with an extra immune boosting benefit!.
