We love a little warm beverage in the evening during the winter, and these bottles will be stashed away till then.
ELDERBERRY CORDIAL
When elderberries are at their lusciously
dark, glossy best they are irresistible, the only tricky bit is deciding what
to make with this foraged bounty, will it be jams, jellies, syrups, cordials or
wine?
Mary Poppins advice that ‘a spoonful of
sugar helps the medicine go down’ was very much in mind as we picked the first
batch of this year’s harvest specifically for medicinal rather than culinary
use. Sambucol* Black cordial has a long and impressive history of boosting
immunity against ‘flu and respiratory disease thanks to its antioxidant and
antiviral properties. [*Sambucus translates as ‘gift of the gods’].
Whilst on the linguistics theme, Cordial derives from Medieval Latin, Cordialis
meaning ‘heartfelt’.
Since the arrival of novel Covid-19 disease,
described by Dr Chris Whitty as a mild seasonal ‘flu, interest has increased in
using herbal remedies in preference to pharmaceutical or mechanical
interventions. This significant shift has been endorsed by the NHS Foundation
Trust at East Kent who trialled this remedy as a treatment for Covid-19 because
of its immune-boosting reputation.
Our immune systems benefit from extra
amounts of the flavonoid Quercetin taken with Zinc. Together they act as an
anti-thrombotic needed to regulate adaptive immune cell functions. Plant
polyphenols with this flavonoid have the ability to inhibit viral replication
at various stages in respiratory diseases such as influenza. Published research
articles record its role in inhibiting cellular entry of SARS -CoV-2 and
reducing upper respiratory symptoms but there is a caution to heed,
elderberries are toxic if consumed raw, they contain sambunigrin but cooking
eliminates these cyanogenic glycosides.
Israeli
virologist, Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu, of Hadassah-Hebrew University, found that
elderberry disarms the enzyme viruses use to penetrate healthy cells in the
lining of the nose and throat. Taken before infection, it prevents infection.
Taken after infection, it prevents spread of the virus through the respiratory
tract. In a clinical trial, 93.3% of study subjects claimed complete cure or
significant improvement within 2-3 days. In contrast, subjects receiving the
placebo required 6 days or more to recover.
ELDERBERRY CORDIAL RECIPE
[adapted
from Noelle’s and others]
Fresh ‘black’ European elderberries
Granulated
Sugar [sufficient for preserving shelf-life]
Cloves
and other spicy additions [see List below]
Water
VARIANTS
LIST
Sumac
[added to cold infusions for high Vit C content]
Dried
echinacea root [immune stimulant]
Dried
ginseng root [immune stimulant]
Allspice,
Fennel seeds, Cinnamon sticks, Nutmeg, Ginger
Pick berries that are glossy, almost black,
reject red and green berries.
•
Strip the
berries from their stalks with a fork or by hand. I prefer hand-stripping for
quality control. [stalked berries can be frozen which makes stripping them
extremely easy]
•
Wash the
berries, unripe ones tend to float to the top along with stray stems and
perhaps insects.
•
Skim these
off, drain, re-wash.
•
Put berries
in a preserving or thick-based pan with enough water to just cover them
•
Gently mash
the berries with a potato masher to release their juice whilst simmering on low
heat for 20 minutes
•
Strain the elderberry mixture through a
muslin-lined sieve/straining bag into a jug or separate pan, squeeze the muslin
to extract all the juice
•
For each pint of juice, add 1lb of sugar and 12
cloves [optional Variants list below] I add the juice and rind of two small
oranges, one lemon, 2 cinnamon sticks, all spice and fennel seeds
•
Boil the mixture for 10 minutes until it starts to
thicken [add citrus juice if necessary]
•
Allow the mixture to cool. Strain it again through
muslin sieve to achieve a smooth syrupy liquid, pour into sterilised bottles,
add more cloves if desired then top up
with brandy or cherry liqueur to further extend and preserve its shelf life [up
to two years if kept in a cool, dark place]
If
you over-boiled the syrup and invented elderberry toffee along the way, well
done, have some apples on sticks ready to hand!
We just celebrated a house purchase with a glass of Kir Royale made with champagne and our newly-bottled elderberry syrup, the ultimate health tonic. The cordial is also delicious poured over buttermilk soft pancakes and waffles. Next to try on the culinary list is Elderberry panna cotta which substitutes elderberry cordial for the sweet element in recipes.
Thank you Noelle for suggesting All spice, fennel seeds, cinnamon sticks, all of which went into my Elderberry cordials. We’re about to forage our garden for our third batch of elderberries for cordials and will keep going through September until nature closes the supply.
