Summer into Winter

Summer is here indeed.  The solstice is only just past, and the sweltering days have set in immediately.  The long days are good for accomplishing much, and the creek is always good for washing off the sweat of those accomplishments.  With summer being so new, then why am I already talking about winter?



I think about winter and talk about winter in early summer because he farm we must always be holistic in our thinking.  All, or nearly all, that we do in the long, sultry, summer days is aimed at being able to sustain ourselves through the short, chilly, gray days of winter.  So when I noted the elder patch on my Mother's new place (Peace of Heaven Farm) I enjoyed the lacy beauty and fragrance of the flowers, but at the same time, I was thinking forward into winter. 

Mrs. Butterwirth models a beautiful elderflower hat.

Wintertime is often fraught with little maladies. Coughs, colds, sinusitis, flues and so forth.  We are so often in winter searching for relief, and in the lovely elderflowers of summer we can find some respite from the ills that befall us later in the year.  You see, it is one of the powerful healing herbs.  Here is what Web M.D. has to say about it:

Elderflower is the flower of a tree. An extract of the flower is used to make medicine.

Elderflower is used for swollen sinuses (sinusitis), colds, influenza (flu), swine flu, bronchitis, diabetes, and constipation. It is also used to increase urine production (as a diuretic), to increase sweating (as a diaphoretic), and to stop bleeding.

Elderflower is also used as a gargle and mouthwash for coughs, colds, hoarseness (laryngitis), flu, and shortness of breath. It is used on the skin for joint pain (rheumatism), and pain and swelling (inflammation).

Some people put elderflower in the eyes for red eyes.

In combination with gentian root, verbena, cowslip flower, and sorrel, elderflower is used for maintaining healthy sinuses and treating sinusitis.

And looking further into the vast sea of information on the internet we find even more incredible benefits we can gain from this wonderful flower:

According to the Maryland Medical Center, elderflower contains powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals that help prevent free radical damage. The herb is comprised of several essential vitamins, including Vitamin A, the B-1, B-2, and B-3 complex, and Vitamin C. A combination of these vitamins and phytochemicals, like flavonoids and quercetin, give elderflower its anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antiviral properties. The herb is also an effective diuretic, laxative, and insect-repellent.
Antioxidants, like those contained in elderflower, are essential to protecting the body from free radical damage. Many foods derived from animal fats release free radicals in the body. Free radicals can damage cell reproduction, causing profound changes linked with an increase risk for cancer. The powerful antioxidants in elderflower fight back against free radicals, neutralizing these toxins before significant cellular damage occurs.
- See more at: http://www.aedrops.com/what-are-the-natural-benefits-of-elderflower/#sthash.tyLCsGfh.dpuf

According to the Maryland Medical Center, elderflower contains powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals that help prevent free radical damage. The herb is comprised of several essential vitamins, including Vitamin A, the B-1, B-2, and B-3 complex, and Vitamin C. A combination of these vitamins and phytochemicals, like flavonoids and quercetin, give elderflower its anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antiviral properties. The herb is also an effective diuretic, laxative, and insect-repellent.
Antioxidants, like those contained in elderflower, are essential to protecting the body from free radical damage. Many foods derived from animal fats release free radicals in the body. Free radicals can damage cell reproduction, causing profound changes linked with an increase risk for cancer. The powerful antioxidants in elderflower fight back against free radicals, neutralizing these toxins before significant cellular damage occurs.
- See more at: http://www.aedrops.com/what-are-the-natural-benefits-of-elderflower/#sthash.tyLCsGfh.dpuf

According to the Maryland Medical Center, elderflower contains powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals that help prevent free radical damage. The herb is comprised of several essential vitamins, including Vitamin A, the B-1, B-2, and B-3 complex, and Vitamin C. A combination of these vitamins and phytochemicals, like flavonoids and quercetin, give elderflower its anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antiviral properties. The herb is also an effective diuretic, laxative, and insect-repellent.

Antioxidants, like those contained in elderflower, are essential to protecting the body from free radical damage. Many foods derived from animal fats release free radicals in the body. Free radicals can damage cell reproduction, causing profound changes linked with an increase risk for cancer. The powerful antioxidants in elderflower fight back against free radicals, neutralizing these toxins before significant cellular damage occurs.

http://www.aedrops.com/what-are-the-natural-benefits-of-elderflower/

So with all of this goodness available I decided it was time to make some elderflower cough syrup.  It's a quite simple process.  Start by picking a good quantity of elderflowers from an elder patch far enough from a road that they are not getting much auto exhaust settling down on them. (I pretty much filled up a gallon ice cream tub.)

Then gently remove the flowers from the stems. (The stems contain a substance which the body metabolizes into cyanide.  A tiny piece of stem won't kill you but you want as little stem as is realistic.)  Cover the flowers with cool water and allow them to steep for 24 hours.  Strain all of the water from the blossoms and add sugar.  A good gauge for sugar amount is about 1 1/4 cups per cup of elderwater used. Then add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Bring this to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and hold at a simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.  Pour hot liquid into canning jars, wipe the rims and cap, then water bath can for 5 minutes.  The result is a lovely tasting (way better than store bought cough medicine) amber liquid, that your children will actually want to take.

Now you've brought summer into winter!  Better keep it on a high shelf!

According to the Maryland Medical Center, elderflower contains powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals that help prevent free radical damage. The herb is comprised of several essential vitamins, including Vitamin A, the B-1, B-2, and B-3 complex, and Vitamin C. A combination of these vitamins and phytochemicals, like flavonoids and quercetin, give elderflower its anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antiviral properties. The herb is also an effective diuretic, laxative, and insect-repellent.
Antioxidants, like those contained in elderflower, are essential to protecting the body from free radical damage. Many foods derived from animal fats release free radicals in the body. Free radicals can damage cell reproduction, causing profound changes linked with an increase risk for cancer. The powerful antioxidants in elderflower fight back against free radicals, neutralizing these toxins before significant cellular damage occurs.
- See more at: http://www.aedrops.com/what-are-the-natural-benefits-of-elderflower/#sthash.tyLCsGfh.dpuf