Wild Craft - Elderberry Tincture

One of the most beautiful powerful and useful tinctures to have at hand, and so easy to make.

Pick wild Elderberries from a clean hedgerow away from cars. Strip berries off the stem with a fork into a colander, and check over the Elderberries discarding any damaged ones. They can be rinsed at this point, although I usually leave Mother Nature to clean them with rain and harvest after a shower. Fill a Kilner jar 1/2 full of fresh Elderberries and then fill right to the top with Vodka. I add 6x Cloves and 3x Star Anise, but this is optional.

Cap the jar and leave in a darkish coolish place for 6 weeks to 6 months and then strain through muslin and bottle and label.

The longer the berries stay in the stronger the Tincture.

As soon as you feel a cold/ tickly throat coming on, take 2 teaspoons in a mug of warm water.

I often add a few drops of Echinacea to the Elderberry Tincture too. Elderberry is such powerful healer, and a true Ally. A valuable addition to the Wild Craft shelf, and it pays to make extra as it is a great gift to give to friends.

If you should miss the fresh Elderberry season, its quite easy to buy Organic Dried Elderberries and make in the same way but filling the jar 1/3 full of berries. One of the most beautiful powerful and useful tinctures to have at hand, and so easy to make.

Pick wild Elderberries from a clean hedgerow away from cars. Strip berries off the stem with a fork into a colander, and check over the Elderberries discarding any damaged ones. They can be rinsed at this point, although I usually leave Mother Nature to clean them with rain and harvest after a shower. Fill a Kilner jar 1/2 full of fresh Elderberries and then fill right to the top with Vodka. I add 6x Cloves and 3x Star Anise, but this is optional.

Cap the jar and leave in a darkish coolish place for 6 weeks to 6 months and then strain through muslin and bottle and label.

The longer the berries stay in the stronger the Tincture.

As soon as you feel a cold/ tickly throat coming on, take 2 teaspoons in a mug of warm water.

I often add a few drops of Echinacea to the Elderberry Tincture too. Elderberry is such powerful healer, and a true Ally. A valuable addition to the Wild Craft shelf, and it pays to make extra as it is a great gift to give to friends.

If you should miss the fresh Elderberry season, its quite easy to buy Organic Dried Elderberries and make in the same way but filling the jar 1/3 full of berries.