Elderberry Tincture

A few days ago I posted a blog about the stuff I grow on my homestead, here: https://steemit.com/homesteading/@mamadini/some-of-the-stuff-i-grow-on-my-homestead-in-honor-of-the-equinox)

In the comments I got a request to share Elderberry tincture from @justamother so here it is.

I only have a handful of ripe berries to work with so the batch is really just to show the process as I will add more when other berries ripen. If you are not familiar with Grandmother Elder, you really should get to know her, she is a powerhouse healer and also is known for her famous Elderberry wine. One must be careful as the only edible parts on her are the RIPE berries and the flowers. I would like to go into the healing properties of Elderberry but I am going to let you do that research so that I am not liable as I am not a doctor, suffice it to say this is a tincture you want in your apothecary, it's long been used and is totally natural and available in many gardening zones (in the wood) which should appeal to everyone not just the survivalist, back to the land, and organic folks. Lets get started.

All you need are ripe elderberries, you know they are ripe when they turn black.
100 proof alchohol, I prefer vodka for all my tinctures.
A glass vessel for the tincture.
And time.

The photo below shows the unripe berries that will be tossed into the wilds of the yard as they are not good to use -- remember only black is edible.

An easy way to get the berries off is to put them in the freezer in a bag and then they just pop off (this is for making large batches) the stems, do not get any of the little stems into the tincture, take care with this process.

After you have sorted the ripe berries out deposit them into a glass container.
*A note of tincture containers; Amber glass is best, however, I am using this clear glass to show you the process, plus, it will be stored in a dark cabinet. The main thing to avoid is sun light as with most things that are fermenting, extracting, and other food and medicine preservation techniques.

100 proof is the best to use, yet, anything 80 proof and over will do -- in the back woods they use shine. ;)

The point of the higher alcohol content is purity. Making a tincture is about extracting the properties of the berries (in this case) into the liquid and the more pure the better, of course this keeps bad bacteria from forming.

Poor the alcohol just over the top of the berries and cap it. This is when you put it in a dark and temp stable place, like a low cabinet. The usual amount of time is six weeks to let it sit at which time you may remove the berries and it will stay good for years.

I am experienced and take it a step further into aged tinctures and such but that is another post.

You use this a teaspoon at a time when you start to feel a sickness setting in, the sooner the better. It's wonderful in hot water with other natural healers (the heat takes the alcohol effect away), such as yarrow and allheal, with some raw honey.
The tincture turns a gorgeous shade of purple when it is about at the six week mark.

Below is a little bit of an aged elderberry tincture, it is round three years now. Granted it's not as lovely as the young purple tincture but it serves a purpose.