Blackberries for Viruses

A week after looking at herbs for viruses it seems that I have the chance to test my remedies, I have a sore throat, runny  stuffy nose and lots of aches and pains. I’ve got one dose of elderberry cordial left and I’m making my way through my elderberry elixir as elderberries are antiviral.

Elderberries

As we are approaching the solstice I joined a celebration of Alban Arthan and ended up sitting on a damp log in an open wooden yurt on Cannock Chase and although I was with lovely people I got cold and longed for my cosy bed.  My friends were lovely and suggested cures. I was given a ginger chew (available in Holland & Barrett) which was very warming and helped me to get my voice back. One gentleman recommended blackberries; he said to crush them, put them in the microwave to get the juices to come out and add vodka to the juice. He wasn’t sure how it worked but surmised that if you drank enough you’d forget about your cold anyway! Friendship and good company definately helps you feel better as well.

Blackberries

 Blackberries are one of my herbs to study but I haven’t done anything with berries yet and I decided to look up whether or not they would help a cold and it seems they would. First of all they contain vitamin C which is supposed to help prevent colds and aid us to get over them quicker. Susan Lark points out that blackberries contain bioflavonoids which are powerful antioxidants that help to protect cells against damage by free radicals. Bioflavonoids such as quercetin have antiviral properties that protect us from infections.

These little dears will make good blackberry pickers!

 It’s too late to collect blackberries this year but next year I will include them in my cold remedies. I have come across some free recipes and if anyone has any little helpers to take blackberry picking there are activity sheets to make it more exciting and a certificate to reward their efforts. They are here from the Woodland Trust.

Deer on Cannock Chase

Anti-Viral Herbal Remedies

Today I attended Sarah’s workshop looking at herbs for viruses and winter coughs and colds. We made violet syrup, elderberry syrup, elderberry elixir and fire cider vinegar. Although antibiotics can't help viruses there are some herbal helpers and elderberry is quite specific for flu viruses.

Kitchen table

 Violet syrup is good for coughs and constipation in children. If a child saw it being made I’m sure they would believe it was magic medicine. Sarah had covered the violets with boiled water the night before and they had steeped overnight; the mixture did not smell too appealing and was green in colour. We drained the liquid off; we had 200ml, and added the juice of ½ lemon and the green liquid instantly turned Barbie pink – magic! We added sugar (5oz) and simmered for a few minutes and we’re left with our syrup which any child or adult would take, it tasted delicious.

Violet syrup



 We made a warming elderberry syrup. Along with elderberries (anti-viral, especially for flu) we added hyssop (relaxing for coughs), rose hips (vitamin C), cinnamon bark, nutmeg (warming), marshmallow (soothing for coughs). This was boiled together in water for 15 minutes, strained, and then 1lb of sugar added to each pint of water.

Add ingredients to pan

Grating nutmeg

 The elderberry elixir had other ingredients added, orange peel (bitter to help the liver & digestion), cinnamon bark, nutmeg, ginger (warming), rosehips (vitamin C). We covered the ingredients with honey and topped up the jar with brandy. I will strain in about 3 weeks.

 We also went home with Fire Cider Vinegar, an anti-viral mixture. Crushed garlic, grated horse radish, rose hips, grated ginger and turmeric powder topped up in the jar with apple cider vinegar with will stand for about a month. After a month, strain and use 2 teaspoons in a cup of hot water with 2 teaspoons of honey.

Ingredients going into Fire Cider Vinegar

 On arrival we made some anti-viral teas. The first contained dried sage and thyme with grated ginger, the second had sage vinegar with elecampane honey, they both tasted good.