Elderberry syrup! I’ve made it!

Now I have 10 bottles of elderberry syrup. Well prepared for the change in seasons and for the comming winter. I have already noticed that the edible black and dark blue berries are very useful for human body. The components are anti inflammatory, are good for blood vessels, for blood and circulation, for colds, for bladder... And elderberries help to see better in the darkness.

But!!!!! One should not eat them raw. Ripe berries are slightly poisonous. Not ripe berries are very poisonous. They have to be heated. That is why I use steam juicer. The berries get heated this way and the juice is absolutely safe to drink. I add some sugar. It is very nice.

it is very traditional in the Alpine region to make elderberry juice. People believe in its protective power against cold or flu. Me too. And it is delicious.


Comments

  • annbeck62
    annbeck62 Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭✭

    @jowitt.europe what is a steam juicer? I've never heard of that before.

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @annbeck62 @Merin Porter Mine looks like this. The lower part is filled 2/3 with water which, when boiling, produces steam, going upwards, the top one is filled with berries, the middle one collects juice and it has a hose by which you can fill the juice into jars or bottles.

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    @jowitt.europe what a very nifty piece of equipment. Never seen one before. I can only get my hands on dried elderberry and for the last 2 years have made enough to get me through winter. I even made a tincture so I can use it anytime without refrigeration. Last month I felt something coming on, you know that “off” feeling before a cold hits and both times I took a couple tablespoons of syrup before bed and woke up fine. It definitely works. Nice as a cordial in conjunction with a soda stream.

  • annbeck62
    annbeck62 Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭✭

    @jowitt.europe very interesting, thanks for sharing the picture. Do you use it for anything else?

  • monica197
    monica197 Posts: 332 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Could you steam juicer be used to purify water?

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I make elderberry syrup every year. Love the flavor and health benefits. We only have red elderberry growing wild here in Alaska, but I got very lucky and a dear friend mailed me three plants this summer that I am working very hard to make sure they survive and thrive here.

    I have wanted a steam juicer for quite awhile. And once the garden is growing well I will probably get one. I know folks who use it to process tomatoes for juice and the remaining pulp and such is then used for tomato sauce without having to spend several hours cooking it down to thicken it. The tomato "water" that come out from the steaming process makes a good drink, a stock for broths, soups and so on.

    I even know folks who have steamed chicken in them. Making the broth from it, but not sure what they did with the meat afterward.

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @JodieDownUnder I am glad to hear it works. I will give a few bottles to my grandchildren. They will like it and it might prevent them from getting ill.

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @monica197 I never thought of purifying water this way. May be. Another good idea! We get water from the mountains, so I never bothered about purifying water, būt one could try.

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @annbeck62 only for berries. I did red currants. Also with stems.