Elderberries are ripe

When you walk a dog you can see what nature gives us in natural fruits we can use. The elderberry is a lovely fruit you can use for the winter months. Around late summer or early autumn you see the beautiful red coloured elderberry.

Elderberry Syrup

This is an elderberry syrup recipe from my family and it makes a delicious tasting elderberry syrup. It’s best to pick the elderberries on a dry day.

You will need:

* 2 or 3lbs Elderberries

* A bit of ginger (optional)

* 1lb sugar – per pint of juice

* 1 lemon – per pint of liquid

* 10 cloves – per pint of liquid

Instructions

Pick the elderberries and strip the heads with a fork. Then wash. Put the elderberries in a stainless steel saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to the boil and simmer till they are soft (usually 20 minutes).

Strain through a jelly-bag or Sieve. For every pint of liquid add 1lb of sugar and the juice of one lemon and the cloves.

Return to the heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Boil hard for 10 mins and then leave to cool. Take out the cloves by pouring through a sieve. Bottle in clean bottles.

Unopened and refrigerated this should keep for year.

Uses

Elderberry Syrup is a great healthy tonic for the winter months; it works as a cough syrup, used for chest troubles, and for colds as it’s full of vitamin C. We like to add 2 or 3 tablespoons of elderberry syrup and add some boiling water – to help a cold.

You can dilute like Ribena or just take a tablespoon as and when you need it.

Or you can make a refreshing drink – and drink the elderberry syrup with lemonade, soda water, ice and a sprig of mint during the summer months.