One of the things I’ve been hearing a lot about lately on the homesteading / off-grid YouTube channels that I watch is elderberry (namely, the North American elderberry).
I’ve been hearing how beneficial the fruit is supposed to be from a health perspective (it’s been touted to help everything from colds, flu, allergies, etc. such that it seems too good to be true). From what I’ve been able to gather, the benefits really come from the fact that North American Elderberry fruit has very strong anti-inflammatory properties and these properties have been known for centuries. (As with anything, when I do some online “researching”, it looks as though there can be some not so nice side effects as well; especially when over-indulging.)
People can pick the fruit right off the plant and eat them raw (they’re said to have a slight sweetness to them) or use them in baked goods, etc. Cold press juicing also seems to be one of the main ways that the berry and its benefits is preserved.
Apparently, even the elderflowers are edible and used in teas for their health benefits as well. I’ve even seen where people batter and deep fry the elderflowers for a tasty treat.
Equally important to note: the leaves, stems and bark of the plant are very toxic.
Humans aren’t the only ones who are said to benefit from the Elderberry; apparently, they’re quite good for chickens, goats, and to lesser extents, other livestock.
They’re prolific and are said to grow in all areas of North America. It doesn’t take a lot to get a cutting direct sowed and growing.
Also, they are currently quite a lucrative crop as people are re-discovering the health benefits and the juice alone can sell for quite a bit of money (for example, I just hopped on River Hills Harvest’s website and saw that an 11oz bottle of 100% pure elderberry juice is selling for $19.00/bottle).
When I learned that we lived in elderberry country, I was happy to say the least as I had already determined that I would like to have the elderberry bush as part of our garden. Ed just recently pointed out to me that we have existing elderberry bushes on our property as it is. Because of this, I now know how to identify the bush when in bloom; I’m still confused when it’s not in bloom as the branches / leaves look a lot like black walnut and some other plants that I’m also seeing in and around our property.
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