Elder-Botanical: Sambucus nigra (LINN.)

[gardnmom]

Elder and Elder berries

Elder Flowers and Elder Berries have long been used in the English countryside for making many home-made drinks and preserves that are almost as great favourites now as in the time of our great-grandmothers. The berries make an excellent home-made wine and winter cordial, which improves with age, and taken hot with sugar, just before going to bed, is an old-fashioned and wellestablished cure for a cold.

 

Parts Used Medicinally---The bark, leaves, flowers and berries.

---Bark---The Inner Bark should be collected in autumn, from young trees. It is best dried in a moderate sun-heat, being taken indoors at night. When ready for use, it is a light grey, soft and corky externally, with broad fissures; white and smooth on the inner surface. The taste of the bark is sweetish at first, then slightly bitter and nauseous. It is without odour.

---Chemical Constituents---The active principle of the bark is a soft resin, and an acidViburnic acid, which has been proved identical with Valeric acid. Other constituents are traces of a volatile oil, albumen, resin, fat, wax, chlorophyll, tannic acid, grape sugar, gum, extractive, starch, pectin and various alkaline and earthy salts. (According to an analysis by Kramer in 1881.)

---Medicinal Action and Uses---The bark is a strong purgative which may be employed with advantage, an infusion of 1 OZ. in a pint of water being taken in wineglassful doses; in large doses it is an emetic. Its use as a purgative dates back to Hippocrates. It has been much employed as a diuretic, an aqueous solution having been found very useful in cardiac and renal dropsies. It has also been successfully employed in epilepsy.

An emollient ointment is made of the green inner bark, and a homoeopathic tincture made from the fresh inner bark of the young branches, in diluted form, relieves asthmatic symptoms and spurious croup of children - dose, 4 or 5 drops in water.

Much more here:

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/e/elder-04.html

 

 

[ricardo]

Thanks Lois!

 

[Guest Guest]

I got a simple recipe for making a tincture with Elderberries from TB2K. I ordered some Elderberries a month or so ago to do this. Fill a quart jar 1/3 full of dried elderberries. Fill the jar with Vodka, cap, and store in a dark place for several weeks. Strain.

 

I would think that it would be ok to add a simple syrup to make it more palatable. Straight vodka is pretty strong. What do you think Lois?

[gardnmom]

I believe this is to much, 1 tsp. is the usual dosage.

That would be tough for those of us that don't care for vodka.(it upsets my stomach)

I understand that there may be a recipe for a juice for children?

edited for clarity. 9/16/05

[ricardo]

I ordered my elderberries and they should arrive any day.

 

I am getting conflicting info on the dosage. Is it

teaspoon or tablespoon? I've seen 3 different things.

2 were teaspoon and 1 was for tablespoon. Hummm??????

 

I also read that you only have to let it set for 7 to

10 days, not weeks.

 

My daughter has been taking Sambucol that I purchased.

I first put into some juice and she said it made the

juice taste bad. Then I gave it to her straight. She

said it taste like grape then it got hot. She said it

wasn't bad. When I make my tincture I am going to make

some a syrup.

[gardnmom]

Tincture is at it's full strength after 2 weeks (14 days) It should be shaken at least once a day.

 

This article will show that most tinctures are used a tsp at a time.

Check out this website.

http://www.kcweb.com/herb/tincture.htm

[ricardo]

Excellent link Lois! Thanks.

 

The full moon is on Sunday. I wonder if my elderberries

will arrive in time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ricardo]

Quote:

I ordered some Elderberries a month or so ago to do this.

Mare, are elderberries suppose to smell "funny"?

[Guest Guest]

I smelled mine and they sort of smell like raisins, maybe a little muskier. It's not an unpleasant smell. What do yours smell like?

 

Now that I got them out, I need to get them in a bottle of Vodka. Could have used it recently.

 

I think I'm going to be growing a much bigger variety of herbs than just culinary herbs in the future. I got the kewlest catalog from a company in Canada. They have absolutely everything, even Kava Kava!

 

In my shipment a month or so ago, I also got Elder Flower, Calendula, Chamomile, Lemon Balm and a whole pound of Kava Kava. Now I have to remember what to do with the rest of the herbs. The box sort of smelled like hay...ahhh....those were the days!

[gardnmom]

Mine also have a "funny" odor. The good news here is that herbs that are old lose their aroma........ so now you know how they are suppoaed to smell.

[Guest Guest]

Mare, what catalog did you get from Canada? Since I'm in Canada, I'm always looking for good seed (etc) companies here.

~Jo

[Linda]

Elderberries do stink like a locker room full of dirty socks or worst.

[moonstar]

Was just reading about Elderberry before joining the forum and have ordered some to make Elderberry syrup for the flu

season. Glad to see it posted here. All the incoming info

has been very helpful. Thanks to all.

[kde_batt]

Where did you order your berries and other goodies from? Is there a website? I need to get some and have no idea where to look. Thanks

 

[gardnmom]

I got mine from www.herbalcom.com

001179 - Elder berries whole - 2 - $5.30 - $10.60

that is 2 lbs. for $10.60

hope this helps

[moonstar]

I bought mine at http://www.oldtimeherbs.com/

90 cents per oz. or $7.95 a pound

[kaseyb (Supermom!)]

Clue me in on this, girls.

[gardnmom]

Yes a tincture. or syrup, or wine.

 

"Sambuco" is apparently from the name "Sambucus nigra"

[ricardo]

 

 

I saw this on another forum, just thought I would let you

know. Someone there was ordering dried elderberries from

herbalcom.com and they were out of dried elderberries but

they did have it in power form.

[Kygal]

elderberries remind me of monty python. lol

 

http://hamsterberry.ytmnd.com/

[Guest Guest]

Have any of you tried growing your own ?...(elderberries I mean;o) ... they take a few years to really start producing but are a beautiful and hardy plant. Once you get them established, the chickens love to lay under them and fertilize them too. I got mine at "shovel-mart" they grow wild here in Kansas, and thrive on gravel dust and full hot sun. I have mine in part shade here in town, but after 3 years they are doing very well. I make jelly out of concentrated juice, and use it to disguise other herbals that I give the family...works pretty well. AM.

[Guest Guest]

yes i have them also.

[Guest Guest]

coughs, colds and flu:

 

ELDERBERRY ROB

 

Elderberry syrup is known to keep the cold/flu virus from replicating

 

Place 1 quart of elderberries in a saucepan with 1 tbsp of water to prevent burning; simmer slowly, crushing the berries until all the juice is extracted; strain and then add 1 lb of sugar for each of pint of juice. Boil for 20 minutes and bottle when cold. It should be of a thick syrupy consistency. Dose is 1 to 2 tbsp added to 1 cup of warm water.

 

COLDS, GENERAL

 

Combine 2 tbsp echinacea tincture, 2 tbsp thyme tincture, 2 tbsp licorice tincture, 2 tbsp lemon balm tincture, 2 tbsp garlic syrup (see recipe), 1 tbsp ginger syrup. Give ½ to 1 tsp 4 times daily.

 

MARSHMALLOW SYRUP

(good for dry cough or sore throat)

 

2 oz sliced or cut marshmallow root, 1½ cups sugar, 1 cup distilled water. Soak marshmallow root in water for 2 hours. Add sugar and heat to a boil; cool and strain. Bottle and store in refrigerator.

 

VAPOR RUB

 

In the top of a double boiler melt ½ cup petroleum jelly; remove from heat and add 1 tsp oil of eucalyptus. Mix well, pour into suitable jar and use like the commercial product. Test the skin reaction before using by placing a small amount on the inner fold of the elbow and watching for any reaction. Or (and this is the preferred method), place the product on an old diaper or other soft, thin fabric, fold it over, then place on the chest.

 

 

[gardnmom]

Thanks for the recipes... printed them.

[HapyGirl]

I just went to the website and ordered my elderberries along with several other herbs.