Exceptional Elderberries

Elderberries are a wonderful way to boost your immune system and help keep those "ickies" at bay. They help to protect against infections and bacteria, are packed full of vitamins and minerals, as well as being anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Combining it with Rose Hips for a boost of vitamin C, and Raw Honey (local of course) is a great way to provide a fully rounded addition to your winter cold and flu season arsenal. We use it through out the winter, but just any time we are getting that run down, "I think I'm getting it" feeling.

Many people have asked about our elderberries and how we prepare them for our amazing syrup. So thought I would share the recipe along with information about how we grow and harvest here at the farm using this exceptional plant to keep everyone in tip top shape. It's amazing to think how God provides us with a full medicine cabinet of foods and herbals to combat the most basic of illnesses and ensure we have optimum health!
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Elderberry plants are native to Oklahoma and you can often times find them along side roads or near the edges of river and creeks. Be sure to carefully identify the plants as others that are similar can be toxic! If in doubt buy local root or plant stock from your local nursery or right here at Hathaway Farms.

We've been growing elderberries here at Hathaway Farms for several years and we harvest both the flowers in early summer as well as the berries in the late summer. I'll write another post about what we do with the flowers but for now lets talk about the berries.

Smaller than a blueberry, elderberries have a larger seed inside. When we harvest we try to wait until the crown has 90% of the berries turned to a beautiful hue of deep purple. ​

Once we harvest them, we pop the berries off the stems, making sure to remove any stems, sticks or leaves from the mix as they can be toxic.  I find that taking a small fork or comb will work to separate the berries from the stems.  This can be quite tedious but so worth the effort!  

After the berries are separated, they are given a double wash to make sure and remove any thing (or anyone) who might be along for the ride!  We dry the bulk of our berries in the dehydrator as it is much easier for us to store.  But we also freeze them depending on how much time we have during harvesting time!  

Once you have the berries, whether you grow them yourself or buy them from a local farmer, whip up a batch of your own Elderberry syrup and help keep the sickness away!  ​

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Gma B’s Elderberry Syrup
2 C Elderberries - Dried, fresh or frozen
1 C Rose Hips
4C Water
4 sticks Cinnamon
1-2 Tbsp dried ginger pieces (or fresh)
1 tsp black pepper
1 C. Raw Honey (more/less depending on how sweet you like it!)
Simmer until reduced by half (about 2 1/2-3 C). Smash the mixture with a potato masher and then drain.
Let cool. Add honey and stir.
​Take 2 Tbsp 2-3x day.
Store in refrigerator for a week to 10 days.
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​We clearly don't grow all of the ingredients here at the farm (I wish!) but we do offer links to products we recommend through Amazon listed above. ​

*Please consult with your physician before using any herbal remedies.  These statements have not been endorsed by the FDA. 

For the record, this is my first blog post.  If you like it or want to see more in these posts, please drop me a comment.  I'd love to hear!