Herbal Spotlight: Elderberries with Elderberry Brandy Cordial Recipe

I decant mine into old bottles & make labels for an extra-fancy touch.

Delicious & powerful, elderberries are wonderful for colds & flu, & in times of stress. One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is by making Elderberry Brandy.
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You can use fresh or dried berries & Fall is the perfect time to get some steeping! It's easy & delicious -- I'll show you how!

The common American Elderberry [Sambucus canadensis] & European Elder [Sambucus nigra] are both prolific & commonly found growing wild throughout most of the United States in disturbed areas, along roadsides, & in hedgerows, making them excellent candidates for foraging. Be sure to harvest only from shrubs not treated with pesticides on lesser used roads & to confirm the plant ID. The challenge is not in finding them, but in hitting them at the extract-right time! The season for ripe berries vacillates wildly from early August through to October, with some berries being perfectly ripe on one shrub, yet not ready on another nearby shrub just down the road! And then, you have to beat the birds & other animals to the harvest. We are not the only creatures ‘hunting’ them!  Waiting ‘one more day’ for perfectly ripe umbels may result in you missing out completely! 

Carefully remove green and lighter purple [unripe] berries before using them.

Would-be foragers should make note of the bushes around them & check in on them frequently as the fruit changes quickly day to day. It is important the berries you use are fully ripe, as unripe berries are unpleasantly bitter. The tiny stems & leaves of the plant are mildly toxic, & should not be used. Clean your haul thoroughly, removing as many stems & unripe berries as possible. It is a labor of love for sure, but the flavor makes it worth removing any tiny berries that are green or light purple. Few under-ripe berries or stems are not a concern, but do work to remove all you can. I find popping my whole umbels into the freezer for 30-60 minutes before cleaning them makes it a lot easier to remove them from the stems.

Once cleaned, your haul can then either be frozen or dried for later use. For this brandy recipe, you can use fresh or dried berries, so it is easy to make anytime! ​
Once your berries are cleaned & ready to go, it is very easy to make Elderberry Brandy Cordial-- the hardest part is waiting for it to cure up! I have listed the additional botanicals I add to mne, but feel free to add whatever you have on hand to your own taste!

Picked clean!

Elderberry Brandy Cordial

A quart sized Mason Jar 
2 cups fresh elderberries  [or 1/2 cup dried]
Peel of an orange [organic preferred] 
2 TBS rose hips [dried or fresh] 
1” - 2” peeled ginger 
1 or 2 cinammon sticks 
2 TBS dried elderflowers [optional] 
1 quart brandy
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1 cup sugar or honey 
1 cup water

Place your cleaned elderberries, rose hips, ginger, cinammon & elderflowers [if using] in the bottom of a clean quart-sized Mason jar. Add your orange peel. Slowly fill the jar all the way to the top with brandy. All of your botanicals should be covered-- use a pickle weight if necessary to hold them under the surface. Seal up your jar & put it in a dark spot for 3 or 4 weeks. Shake it once in a while if you like. You will notice the color getting a darker & darker burgundy as it infuses.

Once it is fully infused, create a simple syrup with the water & sugar [or honey.] Allow it to cool completely. Strain off all the solids from your infused brandy base, pressing to release the absorbed liquid as you go. I usually double strain mine to be sure all plant material is removed.
Add your cooled syrup to the brandy-- anywhere from ¼ a cup to all of it depending on your tastes & how ‘sippable’ you wish your cordial to be. Pour it back into a clean Mason jar & set it aside to cure for at least one week. The flavors will marry resulting in a delicious & rather healthy Brandy Cordial! 

Ready to add my sweet syrup!

Look at the color it gives this Sidecar!

Enjoy it on its own or craft delicious cocktails with it -- My favorite way to use it is in Brandy Crustas & Sidecars! Extra delicious & a gorgeous color!
​A tablespoon or 2 two times a day at the onset of a cold is very helpful as well!
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​I hope you enjoy this recipe!  Let me know what additions you like to add to yours-- I really like the flavors I get from adding the elderflowers & rose hips to mine. Also check out my post from last year on how to make Elderberry Syrup here. That is all for this week-- Stay safe & don’t forget to #StopAndEatTheFlowers