In ancient Ireland, the Elder (Sambucus nigra) was part of a trio of Sacred Trees revered by the Celts as Herbal Healers. Hawthorn was “Father”, working with the heart and circulatory system; Elder was “Mother”, working with the respiratory system and skin; Birch was “Child” healing the Liver. Even up to 40 years ago, it was easy (and safe) to go out into the hedgerow and harvest from these Healing Trees. Sadly, today much of the hedgerow has been removed by agri-business and road improvements. What does remain is often severely trimmed before flowers and fruit can set, as well as being heavily sprayed with herbicides. Even worse, the traditional knowledge about these trees is no longer passed down from generation to generation as it does not fit in with the global educational system and technological life-styles. Why bother with the raw ingredients when you can pop a pill manufactured by chemical companies?
Elder (Sambucus nigra), which has been valued since ancient times as a complete “medical chest” because of its countless therapeutic and prophylactic qualities, is now classed as a weed! A common hedgerow plant, it propagates itself rapidly and colonises any available crack or crevice available, not conforming to landscape gardening or agriculture! In fact it is modern agricultural practises and pharmaceutical monopolies that pose the greatest threat to the survival of Elder and other healing hedgerow herbs. We should be grateful for this tenacious gift from Earth Mother, not eradicate it!
The ancient Greek physician Galen classed Elder as “Hot and Dry” and used the herb for cold, damp conditions, such as catarrh or excessive mucus. Even in the 17th century, it was still being used as an expectorant for coughs and as a diuretic and violent purgative. Modern herbal science has merely confirmed what our ancestors knew before laboratories could analyse the constituents! So for those of us who do still appreciate this magical “Faerie” Tree, here are some easy recipes to make at home.
ELDER FLOWERS, harvested in early summer, are anticatarrhal and encourage sweating, so are ideal for feverish colds and influenza. They stimulate the circulation. They help hay fever, if taken as a prophylactic early in the year to strengthen the upper respiratory tract before the pollen count rises. Topically anti-inflammatory, they are used in skin creams. The easiest way to use Elder flowers is to make an infusion.
HARVESTING ELDERFLOWERS FOR TEA (both internal and external use).
Elderflowers are only available for a short period, so it’s best to dry as many as you can for use throughout the year. Choose a dry sunny day and pick only those that smell lemony and fresh. Take the whole head, making sure all the tiny flowers that make up each umbel are open, neither still in bud form nor withered and brown. Spread them out on brown paper to dry. I always leave them for a day or two to wilt so that it’s easy to strip the blossoms off the stems. It’s the tiny flowers you want, not the stalks. Continue to dry the stripped flowers, turning regularly to prevent mould. Once crisp, store in airtight containers.
ELDER FLOWER TEA can be drunk either hot or cold.
Use 1 heaped teaspoon of dried elderflowers per cupful of boiling water. Cover and allow to infuse for 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t let it get too strong or it can make you feel nauseous. Strain.
Drink HOT Elderflower tea to promote sweating, releasing toxins through the skin. It breaks fevers and combats colds and flu. Combined with nettle leaves, it relieves hayfever. Add to the bath to heal the skin.
Drink COLD Elderflower tea for its diuretic effect (it promotes urination, thus helping with fluid retention); for menopausal hot flushes, and for night sweats. Used as a mouthwash or gargle, it heals mouth ulcers, sore throats and tonsillitis. The cold tea can also be used as a face wash and to relieve sunburn and sore eyes.
ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL is a non-alcoholic alternative to elderflower wine. It may not keep as easily but it is a delicious summer drink suitable for all ages! Medicinally, use the cordial for hot flushes, colds and sore throats.
You need: 30 heads of elderflower; 1 kg sugar, 2 litres of water, 50g citric acid, 1 lemon, 1 orange, a large saucepan and a large ceramic bowl.
Strip the wilted elderflowers from their stalks and place in the ceramic bowl. Make slices of the lemon and orange and place them in the ceramic bowl too. Meanwhile, bring the 2 litres of water in the pan to the boil, add the sugar, stir well to dissolve and continue to boil for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully pour over the flowers and fruit in the ceramic bowl. Add the 50g of citric acid. Stir well. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth to keep out fruit flies and other nasties. Stir every day for 4 days. Then strain through a jelly bag and pour into sterilised glass bottles. Store in the fridge. Alternatively, pour into clean plastic bottles and freeze until needed. To drink, dilute to taste with either cold water or hot water. It has the same medicinal properties as the Elderflower Tea.
ELDERFLOWER MILKSHAKE is sustaining enough for a light meal. Make the drink early in the day and put it in the refrigerator to chill, so you will have a refreshing lunch ready after a busy morning. It also makes a nourishing pick-me-up when you are feeling low.
You will need 4 heads of elderflowers, quarter of a litre of milk, 1 egg, half tablespoon of honey, quarter teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Strip the wilted flowers from the stalks and put them with the milk into a pan. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, then draw off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, separate the egg. Cream the yolk, honey and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour the flower-flavoured milk through a strainer over the egg mixture and whisk until frothy. When the liquid is nearly cold, stir in the stiffly whisked egg white. Pour into a large tumbler or mug and chill thoroughly. Enjoy!
ELDERBERRIES are harvested in the autumn. In contrast to the creamy white Elderflowers, the Elderberries are a very dark purple-red, almost black colour.
Like the tiny flowers, there are lots of small berries on each umbel, which need to be stripped off the stalks before use. Some herbalists warn that elderberries should never be eaten raw, only cooked, and my own experience has found this to be true. The raw berries make me nauseous and can even cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities. In times past, Elderberries were used as a diuretic and laxative. That said, the berries are rich in vitamins A and C and are well worth making up into chutneys, jams and jellies, soups, sauces and sorbets, soft drinks and wines.
ELDERBERRY SYRUP is perfect for winter ailments such as coughs, colds and flu.
Put however many ripe elderberries you have picked into a large saucepan with half their volume of water. Simmer and stir for 20 minutes so that you have a rich dark purple liquid. Allow to cool. Then squeeze out the juice using a jelly bag or fruit press. Measure the juice and for every 500ml of juice, add 250g muscovado sugar, a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves and a few slices of lemon. Simmer for 20 minutes. Then strain and pour hot into sterilised bottles.
Dosage: take 1 teaspoon neat every few hours for colds and flu.
Alternatively, use it as a cordial by adding boiling water to taste for a hot drink.
DRIED ELDER BARK is warming in character (hot, bitter, and drying) and is an effective liver stimulant. In the past, it was taken for stubborn constipation and arthritic conditions but it is rarely used today.
Although the wood and leaves of Elder are considered poisonous, I have seen recipes from the 1700s for “Pickled Elder Buds”, aka “English Bamboo”, that use the young shoots sprouting from wood that has been lopped or broken off. ELDER LEAVES have a distinctive smell and were used in olden times as an insecticide, when fleas and lice were a real problem. Even today, you can rub your arms and legs with elder leaves to ward off flies and midges. Here’s the recipe for a useful skin ointment.
ELDER LEAF OINTMENT (external use only). Elder leaves are poisonous and should never be eaten but they do make a useful ointment to rub on the skin for bruises, sprains and chilblains.
Warm 250ml of extra virgin olive oil in a small pan and add a couple of handfuls of chopped elder leaves. Simmer gently until the leaves are crisp, then strain. Return the oil to the pan. Melt 25 g beeswax in the oil. Then pour into ointment jars. Leave to cool and set before putting the lids on and labelling.
I could write a whole book about the virtues of the Elder Tree and it still would not include all the information, folk-lore and recipes that abound about this diminutive little tree. However, I will leave you with a few words of wisdom from my Irish upbringing. Always treat the Elder Tree with RESPECT because she represents the Goddess in her Wise Crone aspect! The tree is guarded by the Fairy Folk, so be aware that if you carelessly cut down an Elder, there will be consequences! Never burn elder wood in your fire and don’t use the wood to make anything other than ceremonial objects! You have been warned!!!
REFERENCES:
ALL GOOD THINGS AROUND US by Pamela Michael and Christabel King; published by Ernst Benn Ltd in 1980; ISBN: 0 510 00055 X
HEDGEROW MEDICINE, by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal; published by Merlin Unwin Books Ltd., UK in 2012.
ISBN: 978 1 873674 99 4
The Herb Society’s Complete Medicinal Herbal, by Penelope Ody MNIMH, published by Dorling Kindersley Ltd, London 1993,
ISBN: 0 7513 0025 X
Author: Veronica Smith first published on 10th June 2016
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