tincture

[bueller]

These are elderberries


This is 100 proof vodka


Put the elderberries in a mason jar and cover them with the vodka


Store in a cool dark place for ~6 weeks. Shake daily. Strain the solids and squeeze all of excess liquid out before tossing the solids in the trash. It's as simple as that. Start taking doses as soon as you feel the symptoms of a cold/flu coming on. Or take daily during flu season as a preventative. It works!!! And it's always cool to make something out of a shrub I planted for wildlife.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

What size are the dosage units? Lol

 

[bueller]

What size are the dosage units? Lol

A tablespoon 3-4 times a day when cold/flu symptoms FIRST appear. Don't wait until your actually sick. It's too late by then.

 

[Rally1148]

Are you elderberries already "berried"?!?! I haven't seen any yet!

 

[MoLandOwner]

Why ruin the taste of the Vodka with Fruit!

 

[rocksnstumps]

Doing something similar but making liqueurs instead
black cherries



chokecherries


Put a cup of sugar in a quart mason jar, fill with berries, and fill the rest to the top with vodka. Most recipes I found say to use around the 80 proof stuff (Smirnoff 80 proof has the red label btw)

After that do the same as above with shaking daily and strain out stuff after about a month. Put in a dark cool place and let it mello for 6 months or more (ok break it out a little early for the Christmas holidays....)

 

[Rally1148]

Just so you all know, we used to do this with skittles and starbusts in college for shooters at our house parties! Don't knock it till you try it!

We used the cheapest stuff we could get though. Kamchatka, Crystal Palace, etc...

 

[bueller]

Are you elderberries already "berried"?!?! I haven't seen any yet!

On one plant they were just barely ready. All the others need a little bit more time.

 

[Rally1148]

On one plant they were just barely ready. All the others need a little bit more time.

They look a few weeks away for me, unless what I'm seeing isn't elderberries. This isn't on my property, as I just planted some this year. For me I usually see them around the same time as Pokeweed.

 

[BuckSutherland]

A tablespoon 3-4 times a day when cold/flu symptoms FIRST appear. Don't wait until your actually sick. It's too late by then.

Probably just easier to do it daily and then you would never have to worry.

 

[mikmaze]

Good grief this thread reminds me of picking elderberries for my great aunt so she could make jam you need a lot of elderberries to make jam. Then me and my cousin when we are around 10 years old picked enough chokecherries to make 10 gallons of wine that's a lot of chokecherries. All too much work now I would rather take the easy route buy some dehydrated peaches and rehydrate them with Captain Morgan dark rum

 

[wiscwhip]

How would that work with 170-180 proof moonshine? Too much alcohol content? I would hate to ruin a perfectly good quart of shine if it were to fail. Suppose one could try it in a pint jar first?

 

[bueller]

How would that work with 170-180 proof moonshine? Too much alcohol content? I would hate to ruin a perfectly good quart of shine if it were to fail. Suppose one could try it in a pint jar first?

The recommendation when using grain alcohol is to add some water to bring it down to 50% alcohol / 100 proof. You could do the same with the shine.

BTW, this stuff sells for like $5 an ounce.

 

[wiscwhip]

Gotcha, proof it down and then treat it like any other alcohol.;)

BTW, this stuff sells for like $5 an ounce.

As long as you have a distillers license...;)

 

[bat man]

I will take 2 quarts. Has to be better than the magic oils my wife vaporizes in the bedroom.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Mikmaze - post #13 ....... Ah, yes, the Captain is good with so MANY things !!!

I read an article about elderberries having some natural compound in them that works against colds and flu. A serious article. It wasn't an excuse for making elderberry hooch ...... although why does one need an excuse ??? Colds .... flu...... bad day...... hang-nail ..... stubbed toe ..... wind shift .....

 

[sandbur]

I will take 2 quarts. Has to be better than the magic oils my wife vaporizes in the bedroom.

Do you mean the magic oils are not helping you? ;)

 

[MoLandOwner]

I have seen way more old boozers than I ever have berry eaters! Just sayin......Leave the Vodka Alone people!

 

[wiscwhip]

I have seen way more old boozers than I ever have berry eaters! Just sayin......Leave the Vodka Alone people!

MAN LAW! according to Mo! Don't Fruit the vodka!

 

[MoLandOwner]

Man Law!:D