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Herbal Spotlight: Elderberries with Elderberry Brandy Cordial Recipe

9/20/2021

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Delicious & powerful, elderberries are wonderful for colds & flu, & also in times of stress. What better way to enjoy some than in a flavorful Elderberry Brandy Cordial?

​Early Fall, with elderberries in season, is the perfect time to make some. 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! 
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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, it's best to use fresh berries, although I've had luck with dried-- it just seems to take  double the time to get the flavor where I want it! ​
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!
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Picked clean!
Elderberry Brandy Cordial
A quart sized Mason Jar 
2 cups fresh elderberries 
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
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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 yorru 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! 
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Ready to add my sweet syrup!
Enjoy it on its own or craft delicious cocktails with it. [I will be crafting some at Cupacity After Hours with mine]
​A tablespoon or 2 two times a day at the onset of a cold is very helpful as well!
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
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Herbal Spotlight: All About Amari & how to make your very own

8/23/2021

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Amari have been around for centuries & are the secret stars of more & more cocktails these days, but many people are still unfamiliar with them -- A tragedy I am doing my best to remedy! 
​ Join me as we explore what they are, how to use them, & even how to make your very own at home!
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Aperol, used here to make a Spritz, an amaro most peole are familiar with.
Let’s start by defining what an Amaro is exactly; an amaro is an herbal, bitter spirit made by macerating a [usually propriatary] mix of roots, spices, flowers & other botanicals into a neutral spirit base or wine. Named for the Italian word for bitter, amari [the plural of amaro] were originally imbibed as restoratives & digestion aids. There are accounts of amari dating back to Ancient Rome-- where overindulgence is decidely ‘a thing’ it makes sense to start crafting a cure for it!
By the 1800s, production was mostly taken over by monastaries, & amari ‘health tonics’ were readily available in apothecaries. They are commonly sipped straight up, over ice, or with the addition of a sparkling agent [such as soda water or sparkling wine] after meals to stimulate digestion.
While they originated as an Italian thing, amari are now produced all over the world, with amazing variations based off the local herbs used to craft them. Italy still relishes their use & enjoying an ‘aperativo’ is extremely common there today. Lighter aerativo-style amari, such as Aperol & Campari, form an entire category that are often enjoyed in Spritzers & not always only after meals.
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My Herbal Craft-Cocktail the Rear Window includes Apreol. Pic: Darren Setlow
Amari are enjoying a resurgence in popularity today, with bartenders embracing their complexity in craft-cocktail making more & more. As the Negroni & the Aperol Spritz have regained poularity, the amaro has been invited to center stage. Once people are introduced to them, a true passion for amari is easily developed. It is a deep well to enter, with so many different types to explore. And, while I do enjoy playing with them in cocktail crafting, it cannot be denied that drinking them straight is an amazing experience. To hold a bit in the mouth on the palette & attempt to identify all the individual herbs you are encountering is a compelling & truly enjoyable experience. 
Perhaps we will do an Amari Tasting workshop at Cupacity this Fall to facilitate the experience for you! [message me to get on the list if this is of interest to you!]
While tasting the many amari of the world is fun, crafting your very own recipe at home takes that to the next level-- & is much easier than you might think! For those wishing to give it a try, I will lay out how here. There is no right & wrong in choosing your flavors; it is entirely a personal journey of taste. I will walk you through the basics of the maceration, sweetening, & aging process, but what you decide to craft yours from is ENTIRELY up to you. I'll share my process & many of the herbs & items I used to help get you started.
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Make Your Own!
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My freshly dug Angelica root
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I used both orange and yellow Little Gems for their bitter flavor and color.
I was inspired to make this ‘Summer Garden’ amaro after harvesting my angelica root.  As I processed the huge root ball, its heady perfume filled my home, making it smell not unlike a bottle of Chartreuse! With that in mind, I stepped out into my early-July garden, & was determined to try to capture the flavors, scents, & colors blooming there. I was particuarly enamored by the idea of adding Little Gem Marigolds to my mix, hoping their delicious, bitter flavor & bright yellow-orange color would be prominent in the finished drink. [& they are!]  Here is a list of some of the herbs I used in mine: Lavender, Anise Hyssop, Elderflowers, Chamomile, Angelica Root, Little Gem Marigolds, Bee Balm, Rose, Violas, & Borage. Again, there is no right or wrong; you want a lovely mix of sweet, bitter, floral, & herbal-green notes. No such thing as too many -- keep in mind the centuries old Chartreuse recipe is said to include over 160 different herbs & spices!  To this mix, you will want to add some strong culinary herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or sage [or all 3!] & some citrus peel, such as lemon, grapefruit, or orange. It is not unheard of to include berries in your mix as well [strawberries are actually roses after all.…]  Go with what sounds good to you.  For this recipe, you want enough herbs & plant materials to fill a quart-sized Mason jar.
Craft Your Own Amaro  ~ Makes about 32 ounces  ~ Takes at least 6 weeks
~A blend of herbs & spices including flowers, leaves, & barks, fresh or dried, Enough plant material to fill a quart-sized mason jar. 
~5-8 sprigs of strong culinary herb [such as rosemary or thyme] 
~Citrus Peels, grapefruit/orange/lemon or a combination equivalent to that of 2 oranges. 
~Enough 80-proof neutral spirit to cover it [vodka is the easiest to source]
​
~1 cup sugar [or sugar substitute] 
~1 cup water
Collect & clean your plant materials. Fresh is always preferred, but dry will work too, it just may take an additional week of maceration. DON’T OVER-THINK THIS PART! Feel your way through what is available & growing fresh near you, & let your brain instinctively choose the ingredients! Leave your plant materials whole to include the reproductive parts of the flowers to capture each flower's bitter attributes! Add the fresh peels of the citrus [I used oranges] & the culinary herb/s of your choice. Loosely pack all the plants, peels, & spices you have chosen into your clean jar. 
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Leave the flowers whole to incorporate their bitter reporductive parts in your mix.
 Slowly pour the plain vodka/alcohol over the herbs, filling the jar all the way to the very top to ensure all the materials are covered & nothing is sticking up above the surface. Put a piece of wax paper over the jar mouth & seal with a lid. Pop your jar away somewhere out of direct sunlight.
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Pic: David Fenton
Every few days or so, give your bottle a shake. Let it sit & macerate for a full moon cycle [4 weeks.]  After this, give it a taste, keeping in mind we have not SWEETENED yet & see how it is coming. If you wish for a stronger amaro, or if you used mostly dried herbs, let it macerate for another week or so. If you are happy with your base, proceed to the next steps!
Once your base is where you’d like it, strain out all the plant materials, pressing as you strain. The plants will have absorbed a lot of your liquid while imparting their flavors!  Make a simple syrup by heating the water & sugar together until the sugar is fully dissolved & it comes just to a boil. Allow your syrup to cool completely, then add it to your infused alcohol base. *Many people will add only one cup of the syrup at this point & allow their amaro to mature, adding more ‘sweet’ later if desired. Remember the point of this sweetening agent to take the edge off the bitterness, not mask it completely! 
Again, how sweet you make it is up to the individual! I added all of my 1:1 syrup, knowing I had included many very bitter ingredients in my mix. Reseal up your jar & set it aside again to age with the sweetener added, at least another 2 weeks. During this time, the amaro will mellow & incorporate the sweet with the other extracted flavors.
If you are impatient to taste your creation, remember some amaros are aged for a year or more at this point!   You will be rewarded by a fuller, balanced flavor by waiting!
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​Two weeks later, give it a try. You can add additional simple syrup if you feel it is needed, but most people will be enjoying their finished product at this point. Decant it into a lovely bottle-- it will store for you indefinately! Cheers! Enjoy your creation straight-up after dinner, in Spritzers on hot days-- or get creative & play with it in cocktails!
That is it for this post. PLEASE let me know what you get up to; I adore hearing from you all & trying your creations! I hope you enjoy the process here as well as your results!
​Don’t forget to #StopAndEatTheFlowers 
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Herbal Spotlight: Chocolate Mint with Recipes

8/9/2021

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With her striking purple stems & killer flavor, Chocolate Mint is one to grow. Join me as we discuss this beautiful mint cultivar & a bunch of options for using your harvest!
Chocolate mint [Mentha × piperita f. citrata]  is one of many mint varieties easily picked up at your local greenhouse. You may have rubbed its leaves between your fingers there, enjoying that delicious fragrance, & thought “but what would I do with it?” & decided not to buy it. Well, this spotlight post is full of suggestions & recipes for your chocolate mint harvest, so indulge away! 
Okay,  this plant is in the MINT family [Lamiaceae] so it will spread if not contained! Plant it somewhere with that in mind or in containers. And, expect it to come back with friends yearly, hence the need for an arsenal of use ideas!  ​
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Herbal Spotilight: Daylilies with Recipes

7/26/2021

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It just wouldn't look like New England without the wild daylilies all along our many crumbling rock walls. Effortlessly growing in field, forest, & yard, they are more than just beautiful -- daylilies are a bountiful food source as well!

​​Join me as we take a look at these delicious, gorgeous gems-​

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Herbal Spotlight: Common Milkweed, With Milkweed Blossom Cordial Recipe

7/12/2021

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​Common Milkweed [Asclepias syriaca] is not only edible, it is delicious!  Far from hurting the butterflies by harvesting some ourselves, by caring for & planting it, we help ourselves AND the declining Monarchs!
So often dismissed as a bothersome weed, this plant actually has a long history of interesting uses in addition to delicious, culinary aspects. In this post, we will make some milkweed cordial & learn more about it--
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Herbal Spotlight: Hemlock Reishi Mushroom

6/28/2021

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​The Hemlock Varnished Shelf Reishi is one of the easiest mushrooms to identify & is revered for its potency.
It has many traditional uses from medical to cosmetic. Come with me as we look a bit deeper into this polypore "Mushroom of Immortality" & its uses.

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Herbal Spotlight: Celebrating All Things Peony, With Peony Simple Syrup Recipe

6/14/2021

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It’s THAT time of year again! [a bit earlier than normal due to the heat]  Anyone who has read my posts knows what PEONY SEASON means in this family! A major favorite in this house, we use these delicious flowers to make all the things-- Ice cream, panna cotta, cocktails, jelly, floral lemonades, & more! Their flavor is amazing & versatile.  Join me as we celebrate all things peony with some fabulous ways to use them -- & with recipes of course!
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Herbal Spotight: Rhubarb With My Rustic Rhubarb Clafoutis Recipe

5/31/2021

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We are deeply immersed in Rhubarb season right now & loving every moment of it! Sadly underappreciated by many, this under-rated garden gem is a favorite in our family. It is one of the most versatile things we grow, working equally well for savory dishes as for sweets & drinks. This week, I share one of my family's favorite ways to enjoy it with my Rustic Rhubarb Clafoutis recipe --

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Herbal Spotlight: Wild Violets, with my easy  Crème de Violette recipe

5/17/2021

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I'm blessed with an abundance of wild violets & take full advantage of it yearly! Not only are they extremely useful & delicious, they are beautiful too!  Join me as we explore their many uses & I share my easy Crème de Violette recipe--

​Wild, sweet violet [Viola odorata] is an herbaceous perennial often found growing on the edges of forests, in clearings, & even, to some people’s chagrin, with wild abandon in neighborhood lawns. Personally, I welcome these beautiful, useful flowering plants. Each year, we collect basket after basket full, using some fresh for salad, garnishes, jellies & syrups, infusing some for medicines & liqueurs, & drying some for tea & to ensure we have a supply year-round.
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Herbal Spotlight: Lilacs, with my Honey Lilac Zabaglione Recipe

5/1/2021

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Lilacs:  Their heady scent & delicious flavor make them a favorite of mine for everything from perfume to ice cream. Join me this as I use them to flavor a beloved, heavenly Italian dessert called zabaglione.
Lilacs [Syringa vulgaris] are a part of the olive family. Most revered for their amazing fragrance, their flowers also have traditionally been used for medical purposes as well. The blossoms have wonderful astringent & bitter properties on top of ther aromatic ones. This makes them excellent to infuse into facial toners or into first aid tonics, such as witch hazel, where they greatly benefit minor skin issues like rashes & cuts. Their bitter properties make them an excellent digestive aid, making them useful for adding to salads, as an after meal tea, or as an ingredient in your own home-made bitters. ​

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