Elderberry Syrup recipe! 🫐🌿 The elder tree is a favourite amongst foragers as it produces both edible flowers and then berries later in the season (although the berries do need to be cooked first). They both have potent medicinal qualities that have been traditionally used to relieve fevers and cold or flu symptoms. At this time of the year in the UK, the berries are ripening and can be used to create teas, syrups, baked goods and more. I dry and jar some for tea, but my favourite way to use them is to make a rich elderberry syrup that I store and use throughout winter. Then, whenever I feel a little under the weather, I just have a couple of tablespoons a day until I feel better. 🤒👍🏻 My recipe Ingredients: Around 4 cups ripe elderberries 1/2 cup chopped fresh ginger, peeled 1-2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 4 cups water or 1-2cm of filtered water ideally 1 cup locally sourced honey (thanks Ian 🐝👍🏻) shop bought is simply sugar with no health benefits and bee welfare is not a priority. As I mentioned - please do be aware the berries do need to be cooked or dried properly before they are eaten as they are mildly toxic when young or raw, and although they are very unlikely to be fatal if you only eat a few, they will likely give you an upset stomach and nausea. Cooking them properly releases the toxin cyanide and they are then perfectly safe to be consume. Further words of warning - As well as the unripe or uncooked berries, all other parts of the tree are toxic baring the flowers. You should also only forage for blue or black elderberries, the red elderberry varieties are also poisonous. Elder can also be sometimes mistaken for cow parsley, or even hemlock or giant hog weed which are both toxic, so if you do decide to forage for elder consult multiple sources prior to doing so and be sure of correct identification - if in doubt, don’t risk it! #elderberry #elderberrysyrup #elder #elderberries #wildfoodharvest #wildberries #wildedibles #outdoorcooking #woodstove #medicinalplant #elderflower #foragedfood #foraginguk #foraging #urbanforaging #organicgardening #gardeningtips #wildmedicine #herbalmedicine #herbaltea