Elder – Sambucus nigra
It’s Elderberry season! This is one of our favorite herbs and, while we don’t have wild elderberries in Colorado, they are luckily abundant as an ornamental. This beautiful shrub is one of the best herbal remedies for flu and is an excellent overall immune booster to help keep you healthy throughout the fall and winter season. It has a long history of traditional use and was often referred to as the “medicine chest of the country.”
All parts of the plant can be used medicinally but with very different actions. The bark is a strong laxative (and can be toxic) and the leaves can be applied to bruises, sprains, and wounds to speed healing.Traditionally, the leaves were used as an insect repellent and farmers applied a strong infusion to their crops to ward off insects. But today, the flower and the berry are the most commonly used parts. These both provide gentle, safe, yet powerful medicine.
The flowers, which appear in early summer, have a long history of use as a tonic and help the body to eliminate wastes and toxins. An infusion of the dried flowers is diaphoretic and used for fevers associated with colds and flu. Elderflower vinegar or oxymel (vinegar and honey) is great for sore throats. It is calming and gentle enough for children. Externally, elderflower water is used as a base for lotions or as a facial toner and can be applied to wounds. A cordial from the flowers is a popular health-promoting tonic throughout Europe (shown below).
The berries get their dark rich color from anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants. They were traditionally used to help build blood in weak and anemic individuals. It is a powerful anti-viral, and this combined with its immune boosting properties, make it a great all around winter remedy. It can be taken daily to help maintain a healthy immune system or more frequently when illness strikes. It is one of our best flu remedies and can help cut the duration of flu from ten to five days. The delicious taste of the syrup makes it a great children’s remedy. The berries (and the flowers too) can be used to loosen and expel mucus in bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.
Elder is one of our great medicine foods so don’t forget to use them to make jams, pies, syrups and more!
There are many species of elder and some of them can be toxic. So make sure you have elder with purple/black berries.
Elderberry Chutney
8 cups of elderberries
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 large onions
2 apples, chopped
1 cup of honey (or Rapadura sugar – to taste)
1/2 to 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root
1 tbsp. of cloves
1 tsp mustard seed
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. cayenne
2 tsp. salt
Bruise the elderberries and combine in a saucepan with chopped onions and apples. Add the vinegar, honey, spices and salt. If using honey, it is much sweeter than sugar, so it’s best to start with half the amount listed and add to taste. Gently bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture gets thick. Let cool and serve. Store covered in the refrigerator.
For more fun and delicious ways to use herbs in food check out Herbal Kitchen with Erin Smith on September 28th!
