#AtoZchallenge V – Vitamin A & C Syrup (make your own)

This syrup is a great way to use these lovely vitamin rich Elderberries after a foraging trip. The syrup is quick and simple to make, it lasts for months in the fridge and has been used traditionally as a cold & flu remedy. Plus it tastes delicious.

Beware – the stalks and leaves of the Elder are toxic, so be careful with the preparation. And it is not recommended to eat them raw.

Ingredients

A bowlful of delicious berries stripped from the stalks.

Water to cover the berries in the pan.

450g of sugar for each pint of juice that is produced.

Instructions

Wash the berries.
Add to a pan and cover with water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Put the mixture through a sieve and discard the seeds and pulp.
Add 450g of sugar for each pint of juice.
Boil this down for about 10 minutes, to thicken the juice.
Bottle and store in the fridge once cooled.

I’ve made this for the last few years, and we’ve used it when we feel sniffy or need a vitamin hit. It’s also very tasty if you just want a spoonful of goodness. Last time I forgot to reduce the mixture over the heat for very long and ended up with a thin syrup. It hasn’t affected the flavour and I’ve found it’s delicious adding a few spoonfuls to hot water. It makes a nice alternative to tea, and it’s hopefully doing a bit of good at the same time.

You can also use it as a Coulis and trickle it over ice cream. Yum!

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Next time W for Warwick Castle.

Check out other AtoZ posts here.