Free cold remedy from the hedgerows (Preserves)

Member Name: lellagrace

Product:	Preserves
Date:	06/09/06 (353 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Full of natural ingredients, soothing to sore throats, winter colds etc

Disadvantages: Can be time consuming to make

FREE FRUIT FROM THE HEDGEROWS – ELDERBERRIES

This is an old recipe from my grandma and is for Elderberry Syrup, which is packed full of Vitamin C and ideal to keep in the store cupboard to use as a natural remedy for those winter colds, sore throats etc.

It is NOT the same as Elderberry wine, and should be the consistency of runny jam. Add a teaspoonful to a mug of hot water and sip it at the first onset of a cold. You can also add honey if you want to sweeten it more.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

Gather a carrier bag full of elderberries, they are on the hedgerows around September.
Lemon juice
1lb sugar (I use granulated, but you can use preserving if you prefer)

Pull off the berries from the stalks, either using your fingers or the back of a fork. If you put the stalks/berries into the freezer until you are ready to use them, the berries are even easier to remove.

Place the berries in a large saucepan (or jam pan if you have one) and crush them with a potato masher or something similar, to release the juices. Then cover and leave for several hours or overnight.

Strain the juice from the berries and discard the residue fruit.

Place two or three jam jars (this recipe should fill about 2-3 jars) into the oven to warm slowly (when you put the hot mixture into the jars they will not crack with the heat if they have already been warmed).

Add a dash of lemon juice to the juice, and one pound of sugar, then boil for around 15-20 minutes until the mixture thickens, stirring all the time to prevent burning. If you have a cooking thermometer then the temperature should be that for “jam”. Have patience, the last few degrees seem to take ages. Test the mixture is the right consistency by placing a drop on a cold saucer, if it sets then it is ready.

Pour the mixture into the warmed jars and when cool, put a paper cover over them (you can buy jam pot covers at most supermarkets if you want to use these, but greaseproof paper is just as good) and label. Then store in a cool place (not the fridge) until you need it in winter.

NOTE This recipe is time consuming and a bit fiddly to remove all the berries, but it is for something that is not available in the shops and is a tried and trusted recipe which has been used for generations in my family. The ingredients don’t cost much and you have the pleasure of knowing you have made something that is free from artificial additives.

Summary: Elderberry syrup - an old remedy used for generations to soothe sore throats, colds etc