Elderberry Winter Warmer Cordial
It’s always a plus when your medicine tastes good- am I right!? Cordials enter into the food as medicine realm and can be a lovely way to take your herbs. I like to enjoy my cordials the European way- sipping in sweet little cordial cups after dinner or while socializing with friends. They promote a sense of well-being and are total heart medicine- the root word of cordial is the Latin “cor” which means heart, and in Middle English cordial meant “of the heart.” This is one of my favorite winter recipes and a fun way to make elderberry medicine that’s shelf-stable and doesn’t need to be refrigerated like the syrup does.
Elderberry Winter Warmer Cordial
Ingredients:
½ cup dried Elderberries (Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis)
4 tbsp dried Cinnamon
2 tbsp dried Rose Hips (Rosa spp)
2 tbsp dried Ginger (or 4 tbsp fresh)
2 tbsp dried Orange Peel (or 4 tbsp fresh)
2 cups alcohol in the 40-50% alcohol range (examples include brandy, gin, grappa, whiskey, rum, and vodka)
1 cup honey (preferably raw)
Directions:
This recipe is simple! Measure out your herbs and put into a quart-sized glass jar. Then cover with the alcohol and next add the honey. Don’t worry if your honey is solid, it will dissolve into the alcohol in just a few days. Put a lid on it and shake well. Let sit at least 2 weeks (and up to a month if possible), shaking daily if you remember to. Strain and enjoy!
Use:
This cordial can be sipped during the cold and flu season as preventative medicine and taken daily as medicine when a virus strikes. Preventative dosage is a few tsp/day and up to 3 tbsp/day if acutely sick. Add to espresso, tea, hot water for an elderberry “hot toddy”, seltzer (make herbal mocktails!), or drink straight out of the cordial cup. No need to refrigerate and the shelf-life is virtually endless. The Elderberry provides anti-viral properties- Elderberry literally helps prevent virus cells from entering our own cells and replicating- and there’s of course a long history of traditional use backing this up. The Rose Hips add amazing flavor and a vitamin C boost, and then of course we have the amazing spices to warm it all up I added cinnamon, ginger, and orange peel. They add a depth of flavor but also immune-boosting naturally occurring essential oils that fight pathogens and these spices provide potent digestive support too! Enjoy!
