The Wild Supermarket: Elder and Dock

The Wild Supermarket:  Elder and Dock

I'm always amazed at the secrets plants hold.  I shouldn't be I guess, because after all, our ancestors were healthy and knew how to use the same plants we have and because of that, we're here.  They used plant medicinals because that's all they had and while we have the luxury of doctors, Walgreens and CVS, that might not be the norm in the future.  Be prepared, whether it's because you fear an uncertain future or because you want to be healthy without chemicals or because you don't have money for medicines from the store, being prepared makes sense.

My very favorite herbal medicinal as of late is Elder (sambucus nigra) and after you learn about it, it will be one of your favorites too! It's very simple to identify and is one of those plants where nearly every part is useful. Below are photos of Elder foliage, flower and fruit:

    

As early as the 14th century Elder was being used in many ways from making pipes for smoking to being used as a tasty beverage and a powerful medicine. Elder is an adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon word aeld or Eldrun and loosely means "fire".  Probably because stems of the Elder are hollow and were used for making pipes for smoking or to blow on a fire to get it started. I thought that was pretty cool but if that weren't enough, there's more....

Elderflowers are used to make Elderflower Cordial, a sweet, perfumey elixir used to flavor just about anything you can think of from martinis to lemonade to club soda.  Want to wean yourself or your kids off of sodas and artificially flavored drinks? Elderflower Cordial might do the trick. This is made from the flowers of the Elder, gather responsibly from different locations - don"t eliminate your patch by over collecting in one area. Here's how to make it:

Elderflower Cordial

1 qt water

4 c sugar

2 lemons, thinly sliced into rounds

1 orange, thinly sliced into rounds

1 t citric acid

25 elderflower heads, stems removed (about 2 cups flowers)

Remove flowers from stems into large bowl or gallon glass jar,  Slice lemons and orange, add these to the flowers and then add the citric acid.  Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan till sugar is dissolved. Let cool to room temp, pour over flower mixture and stir to combine. Cover and put in fridge for 3 days.  After 3 days, strain liquid thru cheesecloth into a quart jar and store in fridge. To serve, pour 1 to 3 tablespoons into a glass and add mixer of your choice.

Another wonderful product of the Elder is the berries. This is the part that just amazes me....the berries have compounds in them that can prevent the flu or if you are already sick, can dramatically lessen the severity. When the doctor prescribes a flu remedy such as Tamiflu, the drug simply masks the symptoms of the flu and doesn't actually kill it.  Elderberry syrup or tincture (called Sambucol) actually coats the viruses and prevents them from attaching themselves to healthy cells therefore they cannot replicate and make you sick.  They are then just flushed out of the body naturally.  See how that works??? Tell me that's not amazing! There are two ways to make Sambucol - syrup or tincture. The syrup is nonalcoholic and obviously suited for children or teetotalers while the tincture is made with grain alcohol.  Either works, but I prefer the tincture, it is more potent because it hasn't been exposed to heat.

Sambucol aka Elderberry Syrup

2/3 c elderberries

3 1/2 c water

2 T fresh ginger or dried ginger root

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t whole cloves or ground cloves

1 c honey or sugar

Into a medium saucepan add all ingredients except honey or sugar and bring to a boil and simmer for 45 mins or till reduced by almost half. Remove from heat, let cool a bit, add sugar or honey and stir to dissolve. Store in lidded jar in fridge. 

Dosages:To prevent flu use 1/2 to 1 t for kids and 1 T for adults every day. If you are already sick use the normal dosages just take it every 3 hours daily until symptoms disappear.

Elderberry Tincture

2 c elderberries

Grain alcohol like Everclear or other high proof alcohol

1 c sugar

Pour berries into quart Mason jar, add enough alcohol to just cover the berries. Seal and let sit in dark, cool place for 6 weeks, shaking vigorously every few days.  After 6 weeks, strain off the liquid into a bowl and squeeze the berries to get every single remaining drop out of them, discard the berries. Pour back into the jar and store in cool, dark place.  

Dosage: THIS IS FOR ADULTS ONLY!!!

 To prevent flu take 1 T daily. If you're already sick, 1 T every 3 hours.

You could also make jelly and wine using Elderberries, but why would you waste these precious little gems on that?? If you do happen to have acres of the plants available and you want to make some, here a link to a great website that has tons of recipes and some cool trivia on Elder.

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/e/elder-04.html

  

o   Now, see the pics above?  Let's talk about some Curly Dock (rumex crispus), it's a versatile food and an important medicinal. You can recognize it by the unusual leaves that have a frilly, ruffled look or as it's called, curly. The seed heads form and when ready they turn a dark brown.  When I first started foraging, this was one of the plants I started with because it's easy to identify.  When the seeds are fully ripe, the leaves tend to develop a powdery looking mildew on them, making identification even simpler. The leaves, if picked very young can be added to salads or soups and have a pleasant tangy taste.  If you gather them a little older you'll need to parboil them in a few changes of water to get rid of oxalic acids that can be damaging to the urinary tract and also can flare up gout in some. Once you've parboiled them you can eat them as you would any cooked green.  The seeds are gathered when brown and ripe and then can be ground into a fine or coarse flour and used in oatmeal, breads, etc.  A word of warning about Dock seeds - they have a strong laxative effect in some people,  That can be a very good thing if that's an issue with you but if it's not, then it can be a messy surprise because it's like a stick of dynamite for your colon!.  I add about a teaspoon in oatmeal or sprinkle it on top of muffins before baking. The root is also valuable, it is very high in iron and can be used as an iron supplement when dried and powdered and added to foods.

     

     

  That's it for Elder and Dock.  Get out there and forage!