56 Elderberry Syrup for Cold Season: The Herbal Craft of Putting By

Learn how to make elderberry syrup at home with this simple, traditional folk-method recipe — plus what makes elderberry one of autumn's most trusted allies for cold and flu season.

This week, we're deep into putting-by season — the quiet, practical work of turning a harvest into medicine that lasts through winter. I walk through the full elderberry syrup process step by step (no fancy equipment, no precise measurements, just the old way of doing it), along with the plant's constituents, energetics, and history — including its old European folklore as a guarded, protective tree, and its lesser-known American cousin growing right here in New England hedgerows.

Also in this episode: a look at tomorrow's rare astrological lineup — Venus moving into Scorpio for an extended stay, and the year's only New Moon in Virgo — and what both mean for anyone looking to start something new this season. Plus a few notes from my recent weekend at the Misty Meadows Women's Herbal Conference in Thetford, Vermont, and an update from the land as I work on a rainwater tower project here at The New England Herbary.

In this episode:

• How to make a traditional elderberry syrup, folk-method style
• Why elderberry works for cold and flu season — constituents, energetics, and a note on safety
• The folklore of the European elder tree, and the American elderberry growing wild in New England
• Venus enters Scorpio + the New Moon in Virgo: what tomorrow's sky means for new beginnings
• Notes from the Misty Meadows Women's Herbal Conference

As always, I'm not a physician, and nothing here replaces care from your own healthcare provider — especially if you're on immune-modulating medication or managing an autoimmune condition.

Folk Method Elderberry Syrup FREE Recipe

https://mailchi.mp/b6b478eb1572/0m18jv0xwu

Photos from the conference — including the full moon campfire circle — are up on the website with this week's post. You can also catch the full newsletter and this week's YouTube companion piece for more on this season's putting-by work.

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🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools

(affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work)

Herbs featured in this Show:

1. European Dried Elderberries

https://amzn.to/4AjU7TQ

2. Stainless Steel Chinois Strainer with Stand and Wooden Pestle Set

https://amzn.to/4A99Fty

3. 16 oz Wide Mouth Glass Mason Jars with Lids, 6 Pack for Canning

https://amzn.to/46c8uMb

My favorite tea-making tools:

BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker,

https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH

Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar,

https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L

Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars

https://amzn.to/4pNflmq

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My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey.

Inside you'll find:

• Simple planting guidance
• Space for drawings, photos, and notes
• Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef's Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden)

Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants.

✨ You'll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey.

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🎶 Music Credits

A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story.
I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander's work.

🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021

🔗 https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/

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