Our resident forager and Mindful-in-Nature course leader Brigit-Anna McNeill shares an Autumnal recipe to support you as we head towards the colder, darker months:
Says Brigit-Anna:
It is elderberry season, and these dark and beautiful berries are hanging in bunches from the gnarled and crooked elder tree known as the elder of the woods in the forests, hedgerows and fields.
Elderberry is wonderful for the immune system and a great support for all the family during the journey into Autumn and Winter.
Ingredients
- Enough fresh, ripe elderberries to fill two 1-litre jars. See variations below for using dried berries
- 30g of freshly-grated ginger root
- Spices: cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, star anise (use what is right for your taste and what you have in the larder)
- Honey
- Orange peel (optional).
I also like to mix up the berries and use a combination of elderberries, blackberries and hawthorn berries.
You can use less honey and if you're doing so, it can be good to add a healthy dash of brandy to help extend the potion's shelf life.
Directions
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Combine the elderberries with ¼ cup of water in a large pot and simmer very gently until soft. Strain out the pulp, reserving the liquid. Compost the solids and return the liquid to the pot.
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Add the ginger and cloves and gently simmer, uncovered, until the liquid reduces to about half its original volume. Pour the juice into a measuring cup and note its volume, then return to the pot.
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Add the same amount of honey and stir until thoroughly combined. Let cool, then bottle. Store in the refrigerator, and use within 12 weeks.
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To Use: Take 1 to 2 tablespoons several times throughout the day to treat or fight off a cold or flu.
