Elderberry stimulates a strong immune system due to its flavonoids, such as quercetin, and anthocyanidin. These flavonoid compounds and glycosides have the potential to counteract or alleviate infections and be expectorant. The berry is also rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene. It has therefore been used for a very long time in our traditional folk medicine.

Sambucus nigra, elder, elderberry and elder – this beautiful and nutritious plant has many names! The elderflowers have a characteristic strong scent and have diuretic and expectorant properties that make it good for colds, coughs and upper respiratory tract infections.   Elderberries have similar properties to the flowers and are also very nutritious. Elderberries can help dissolve slags in the body, which can be blood purifying.

Three strong reasons to eat elderberries this winter:

• 1. they stimulate the immune system – with the potential to shorten and alleviate colds and flus
• 2. elderberry is a powerful antioxidant that protects our cells from damage and inflammation.
• 3. they have an expectorant effect and support the upper airways.

Research study with a total of 180 participants found that elderberry supplementation significantly reduced upper respiratory symptoms. A Norwegian randomized double-blind placebo study showed that those treated with elderberry extract had an average of four days less sick leave than those treated with placebo. You can read more in the scientific references below, there have been many studies in the last two years.

They are still on the trees so get out and pick!

Elderberries are part of my Artemisia regimen, along with three other panacea remedies: wormwood tea, black cumin oil and cayenne pepper (in gelatin capsule at mealtime). Read more about the Artemisia online course here

How are elderberries prepared?

The berries shouldn’t be eaten raw, because some people can get intestinal pain. So I picked the berries (easily cut down with scissors), rinsed them in water and scratched them off. Then cooked some with about 5% raw sugar for 20 minutes and poured on glass jars in the fridge. The rest I froze and cook a little jam at a time. This jam is very tasty and flavorful! It feels how nutritious it is!

More ways to cook:

• Juice Pick the berries when they have had time to frost, then the taste will be sweeter and milder. Alternatively, put them in the freezer overnight before use.
• Elderberry tea Pick the berries and leave them to dry in a warm and airy place. Make the tea by boiling water and letting it steep for a long time, up to 15-20 minutes before straining the berries.
• Elderberry syrup Both the berries and flowers of the elderberry are expectorants and have been used as a cough remedy for hundreds of years. Recipe below.
• Good with game The berries can be cooked into jelly. The jelly is a tasty accompaniment to roast meat, preferably game.

Elderberry syrup Modified recipe with 1/3 of the amount of sugar from Lisen Sundgren’s book “Lisens gröna värld”:

• 2 dl elderberries, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 tbsp dried are boiled in 1 liter of water under cover for an hour.
• By then the liquid should have reduced to about half. Strain the berries and discard them.
• Pour the juice back into the saucepan, heat it up, add 1 dl of caster sugar (or coconut sugar), stir until it dissolves.
• Allow the mixture to cool and freeze in ice cubes, which are taken out one at a time as needed, thawed and eaten.

Shop for elderberries:

• Dried organic elderberries at Naturalshop
• Elderberry farm
• Ängavallens eko Flädersaft

References

• Anthocyanins are detected in human plasma after oral administration of an elderberry extract Cao G, Prior RL Clin Chem 1999; 45:574
• Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) supplementation effectively treats upper respiratory symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials. Hawkins J et al, Complement Ther Med 2019 42:361-365.

• Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections, J Int Med Res 2004 Mar-Apr;32(2):132-40.
• Analysis of anthocyanin glycosides in human serum. Murkovic M, et al, Fresenius J Anal Chem 2000, 366: 379-81.
• Anthocyanin Profile of Elderberry Juice: A Natural-Based Bioactive Coloring Ingredient with Potential Food Application, RFR da Silva et al, Molecules 2019 Jun 26;24(13):2359.
• Inhibitory activity of a standardized elderberry liquid extract against clinically-relevant human respiratory bacterial pathogens and influenza A and B viruses, C. Krawitz et al, BMC Compl Alt Med 2011, 1472-6882-11-16.
• Elderberry, an Ancient Remedy: A Comprehensive Study of the Bioactive Compounds in Three Sambucus nigra L. Subspecies , Uhl K & Mitchell AE, Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. 2024 Jun;15(1):27-51.