As many of you know, I’m really enjoying the study of herbal medicine. One of my favorite things to make is organic elderberry syrup. It’s easy, fun, and so much less expensive than buying it from the store. I source all of my medicinal herb ingredients from Mountain Rose to get the highest quality at a good price.
Well, today I made something different. I made Elderberry Cognac Health Elixir. Elderberries have been used for thousands of years to promote health. Today, similarly, people use elderberry for preventing and treating colds and flu. They are high in flavonoids which are helpful in fighting viruses. They can also have an anti-inflammatory effect. The French often refer to this plant as the house pharmacy.
Elderberry Cognac Health Tonic
- Fill a jar half way with dried elderberries. I used an old raw honey jar that still had about an inch of raw honey in it.
- Cover the elderberries with raw unfiltered honey, and stir it well.
- Add a bit of organic clove powder and vanilla powder (use your intuition on how much to add – that’s the fun of it). Stir again.
- Fill the remainder of the jar with cognac.
- Stir well to incorporate, and let the Elderberry Cognac Health Tonic sit for six weeks on a counter or in a cupboard.
- After six weeks, strain off the berries and discard them.
This can be taken frequently by the tablespoon to maintain health or at the onset of illness. Elderberries are powerful and used all year to prevent illness.
* I love this Tsp Spice company for spices because the organic spices come in individually wrapped teaspoon portions. That keeps them extra fresh.