There are so many types of elder trees in the world. Today I am talking about black elderberry (Sambucus nigra). Despite the name, black elderberries are actual dark blue and the juice they expel is purple. I believe black elderberry is the most common variety found all over this planet. If you are planning on picking elderberries for the first time be sure to verify the that you are indeed collecting elderberries and that that specific type of elder is safe for human consumption. Okay, enough for disclaimers, let us get back to the herbal profile!
A friend invited me to go harvest elderberries. She wanted to make syrup in preparation for the upcoming cold & flu season. I was glad for the chance to go foraging and so we packed our baskets & clippers and headed to California's delta region.
It is only a 40 min drive - and yet - the landscape couldn't be more different to my hometown. Oak and walnut trees make up the canopy. Wild roses, Cali grape, blackberries, and elderberry grow in abundance bellow. It is a wonderful world of abundance tucked between wineries.
Once home I got to making the syrup right away. Over a strainer I mashed up the berries and let the juice (and only the juice) run into the pot bellow. I then added a bit of water and let the concoction boil with the lid on for about an hour. Then I turned off the heat and added honey. It is key to not boil the honey at all but rather let is dissolve completely in the boil berry juice. If I were to be canning this syrup I would have added white or raw sugar but this syrup is for the next couple of weeks. In between doses I plan to keep this syrup in he fridge.
Elderberry syrup is well known in the world of herbalism as a potent immune system support. And as I planned to travel internationally I wanted a bit of syrup to take each day before, during & after my journey.
All the pictures I share are my own and never include any AI influence. And, all the text written here comes straight from my own brain! I think creating, crafting, and building ecosystems are vital to life 🍀🌿 Follow along for more of my herbal profiles & mystical musings and I will surely follow you back too!
⭐Chloe Calendula⭐