Kitchen Apothecary: Herbal Syrups
Winter is the season of jollity and also of sniffles. Sooth your caroling throats with a sweet herbal syrup that will support your body in the prevention and healing of colds and flus.
Herbal syrup has been on my to-do-list a long time. I found the prospect intimidating, but an instructional video from John Gallagher encouraged me to finally use my dried elderberries—the ones that had been languishing in the cabinet for three years. I was glad to see that Mr. Gallagher uses honey in his recipe, rather than a white sugar syrup that would depress the immune system. Honey has wonderful medicinal value itself!
Medicinal Benefits of Honey
“...[Jonathan] put forth the end that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.” First Samuel 14:27.
The health benefits of this sweet run like a dictionary; honey is recognized as antibiotic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, expectorant (promoting excretion of soothing sputum), antiallergenic, antiemetic (preventing vomiting), tonic, anti-fungal, immune stimulant, and cell regenerator. Honey is active against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp, enterococcus, and Helicobacter pylori.
Source: Herbal Antibiotics, Stephen Harrod Buhner.
Elderberries are an excellent source of anthocyanins (a flavonoid), vitamins A and C; they are also high in iron and vitamin B6. Elderberry syrup is a folk medicine staple. Take it at the first signs of illness to support the body during a cold, flu, sore throat, or fever. Elderberry syrup is not only medicinal, it is delicious; you can take it in a spoon, in your tea, or served on pancakes.
Elderberry Syrup
You will need:—
1/2 cup of dried elderberries
1 cup of honey (We used raw orange blossom honey.)
Optional Ingredients—You can add these spices for their warming effect, especially beneficial to those who are chilled.
5 whole cloves (I bought organic whole cloves from Rose Mountain Herbs, and they have such a powerfully sweet and spicy flavor compared to what is found in our supermarket spice aisle.)
1 stick of cinnamon (True cinnamon will have the greatest medicinal value, but the cassia sold in stores as cinnamon is also fine. That is what I used.)
I tablespoon of grated fresh ginger root (Roots are important to get organic.)
In a small saucepan pour the elderberries, optional spices, and 2 cups of pure water. Cover and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer until the liquid is reduced by half—approximately 20 minutes. Strain the liquid. Allow it to cool somewhat before blending it with the honey (to preserve the beneficial live elements of the honey). Keep the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Label it with a name and date. Because of the preservative effects of the sweet honey, refrigerated herbal syrups can last 2-3 months.
I really liked the smell—like sweet raisins and spice, I thought. But I have a very forthright family intolerant of new odors. ;-) When they returned from shopping there were immediate outcries. “Boy, oh boy! What happened in here? Did someone wash that stinking dog?” So you can imagine their reaction when I announced, “I’m making some new medicine. Want to try some?” The color didn’t especially help.
Then I went shopping, and when I came home I found some new labels on my elderberry syrup.
Someone was not a fan. (It’s all in good fun!)
It is worth mentioning that those brave enough to try the syrup, loved it and begged for extra tablespoons every day. Among four of us, we drank a pint within two weeks. Third Brother kept asking me when I was going to buy more of those “berry things” to make more of that “tasty syrup stuff.”
Rose-Hip Syrup
I didn’t have any more elderberries, but I did have a big jar of wrinkly, ruby-colored rose-hips (the tart fruit of the rose). I simmered 2 cups of rose-hips, 10 cloves, and 2 cinnamon sticks in 6 cups of water. After reducing and straining this, I blended it with an equal amount of honey. This was delicious—very fruity, with a warm hint of spice. Because of the pectin content of the rose-hips, this syrup was thicker than the elderberry (which was surprisingly thin, considering the name “syrup”).
Rose hips are another herbal staple during the cold and flu seasons. They are rich in vitamins C, A, D, and E, as well as high in iron, flavonoids, and essential fatty acids. They work with the body to boost immunity, rejuvenate the skin, sooth the nervous system, and relieve exhaustion.
Making herbal syrups is so easy and the result so tasty (as well as beneficial), that I will be making these syrups part of our basic cold-and-flu routine. It’s one home-treatment the children won’t mind! (I’ve implemented others that are not so popular. ;-)
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HEIDI said...
When I was a high school senior, our class spent a lovely five days in the woods together, studying the Bible, survival, and edible plants. One of my favorite treats was coconut breadsticks with elderberry syrup. Yum! I’m glad you shared a recipe that uses honey instead of sugar, I think I may just have a bag of elderberries in the cupboard I can experiment with this week.
Have you ever picked and dried your own elderberries? It’s ever so much fun, but it’s easy to let the sparkle of the fall air get so enchanting that you pick far more than you can use.
Sunday, December 11, 2011 08:37 PM
HANDMAIDEN said...
YIn zone 10, you may not be able to pick your own elderberries, but you can pick your own coconuts. ;-)
I thought of you when writing this post, because I remembered that you pick elderberries with friends every fall. I wish you well on your experiment.
Monday, December 12, 2011 10:01 AM
Friday, December 9, 2011