Elderberry is one of the most popular plants in Poland, used to prepare healthy, non-alcoholic beverages. Known for its positive effects on immunity and support during illness, elderberry gives its best first in the form of snowy white flowers and later in juicy fruits. How to make elderberry juice, what does it help with, and how often should you drink it to see results?
Elderberry Juice
It's worth having elderberry juice in your home pantry! Slightly sour, aromatic, refreshing, and very healthy, it's a wonderful addition to tea. Homemade lemonade also pairs perfectly with it. You can easily prepare it yourself – but which parts of the plant should you use: elderberry flowers or fruits?
Elderberry fruit and flower juice are two different varieties of beverage, obtained from the same plant, but harvested at different times of the year. In autumn, you can collect ripe elderberries (Sambucus nigra). These are black berries that ripen in autumn. In summer, white flowers are picked.
Dark, purple fruit juice is rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and other nutrients. It's perfect for drinking on its own, as a syrup, but also for jellies or jams. In contrast, light, yellowish flower juice mainly contains flavonoids and essential oils – hence its delicate taste in syrups and teas.
Elderberry juice - properties
Both juices have their unique flavor and aromatic characteristics, making them popular in cuisine and folk medicine. Elderberry juice has a range of health-promoting properties. Especially the one obtained from fruits is a valued beverage with many potential benefits. It contains anthocyanins, flavonoids, and other phenolic compounds that act as powerful antioxidants. They help neutralize free radicals in the body, which can contribute to protecting cells from oxidative damage. It also supports the immune system thanks to its high vitamin C content. Elderberry extracts show some antiviral properties, and anthocyanins have potential anti-inflammatory properties.
What does elderberry juice help with? Thanks to antioxidants and vitamins, it can help maintain healthy skin by counteracting aging processes. It is certainly worth including this drink in your diet during the autumn and winter. Before preparing the juice, however, both the fruits and flowers must be thoroughly cleaned, as some parts of this plant can be poisonous.
Elderberry juice - how much to drink?
Elderberry juice is popular for its potential health benefits. However, you should not overdo its quantity – it should be adjusted to various factors such as overall health, weight, and individual needs.
Generally speaking, elderberry juice should be consumed in moderation, like most sweetened and herbal beverages. One glass, or about 200 ml, is enough to fully utilize its health-promoting properties. People with plant pollen allergies should first try a teaspoon of the drink to check their body's reaction. It is important to always listen to your body and adjust the amount of products consumed to individual needs and tolerance.
How to make elderberry juice?
How to make elderberry juice at home? You can prepare it in a few simple steps. Raw elderberries are slightly toxic, so they should only be consumed after proper preparation, which includes cooking or baking.
The flowers, on the other hand, should be fresh and fragrant. They should not be picked near busy roads or in other places where they might have been contaminated.
To prepare elderberry fruit juice, you will need:
- 1 kg of ripe elderberries, cleaned of twigs and leaves
- 1.5 liters of water
- 1 kg of sugar (the amount of sugar can be adjusted to your liking)
Elderberries should be heat-treated to remove potentially toxic substances. This can be done by boiling the fruit for about 15-20 minutes or baking them for about 10 minutes. These steps are recommended to get rid of potential toxic substances.
Bring water to a boil in a pot and dissolve the sugar in it, stirring vigorously. Let the resulting syrup cool down.
Blend the cooked fruit into a smooth mass using a blender or grinder. Then strain it through a sieve or cheesecloth. Mix the strained juice with the sugar syrup and stir thoroughly. Pour the mixture into clean, sterilized bottles. Cap them and store in the bottle or pasteurize.
To prepare elderflower juice, you will need:
- 20-30 elderflower heads, thoroughly cleaned, washed under running water, and dried
- 1.5 liters of water
- 1 kg of sugar (the amount of sugar can be adjusted to your liking)
- Juice of 1 lemon
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Dissolve the sugar in it. Add the flowers, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Let cool. Add lemon juice and stir.
Once cooled, strain the syrup through a sieve or cheesecloth to remove flowers and other impurities. Pour into sterilized bottles and store in the refrigerator or pasteurize.