100 proof vodka is 50% alcohol 50 water... but after seeing this I'll be making it with Brandy or another smooth 40 to 50% alcohol... thank you for sharing this ❤
Hi Herrick, thanks so much for your Elder berry Tincture directions. Can you please tell me how yo make it using dried Elderberries? On the West Coast we din’t have fresh ones. Thanks!
Yay Central NY! I'm harvesting Elderberries for the first time this year on our plants. Let's say I live in the southern Fingerlakes, and hello Herrick!
Instead of wasting time with picking berries…put in bag, and freeze, when frozen, rap the bag on co7nter and berries will fall off…then you can pull out unripe.
I grew up picking those berries off the stems. Then mom would juice them in the steam juicer, fill lots of bottles with dark juice we drank over winter. I like the idea of tincture, takes less space, holds well.
Great video! I wonder if you could extract with the Everclear, evaporate off some of the alcohol and remix in a type of liquid that doesn't burn as much. I am just trying to think of a way for it to burn less and be better for my smaller family members. Great video and thanks for getting me thinking. Now time to plant some elderberry.
Try using 1 part local honey to 1 part elderberry. Cover and burp jar daily for 2 weeks (turn jar over each day to keep berries coated). ...when burping jar don't open to let oxygen in- just barely twist lid to allow gasses out. It will ferment and make honey thin out. After 2+ weeks strain berries and use fermented elderberry honey as you wish...shelf stable.
Use glycerine as an extraction element. That won't burn and will be good for kids. But you will probably want to dry your berries to get a reduced moisture content before starting a glycerine tincture.
Everclear is used for bark, branchy stuff, and tough leaves. It needs to be extra strong alcohol to pull out the constituents. For soft things like berries, you need a very low proof alcohol, 40-60 proof or even up to 80 proof if that's all you have. Tinctures last literally forever, but being able to use them easily without it burning so bad your mouth is scorched from Everclear is essential. You can add the Everclear version to water or tea or juice, but you can't take it straight. It can give your mouth, throat and stomach a chemical burn. So using the proper alcohol of 40-60 proof is really important unless you want to add the mixture to another liquid to buffer the Everclear. I'm an herbalist and have been trained on all this, and we use it exclusively on our homestead and I sell it too...
@@everythinghomestead9222 I'm curious what you think of what I was taught by another. I was taught to use Everclear with things that have a lot of moisture (leaves you have not dried, berries you have not dried, etc). And to use 80 proof alcohol on everything which has been dried. Does that fit with what you were trained in? Or does that go counter to what you were taught? Or is there some context I'm missing? Thank you.
Berry envy. I planted 3 elders about 5 years ago, but our suburban deer problem kept foiling my fencing. Aggravating. Love the idea of a self reliant, medicinal syrup.
Wow, that’s a lot of elderberries on those bushes! My elderberry Bush is about 25 feet tall and very, very old. I think I need to plant some new ones, I’m not getting many berries anymore. I always make elderberry syrup myself. Tincture would probably be healthier, but I don’t drink alcohol and I don’t really care for the taste of elderberries. I add cinnamon, lemon and honey to the juice. There is a faster and easier way to get the berries off the stems, just use a wide toothed comb and rake them off. Then you can pick the unripe ones out. But I know you like tedium!
Maybe prune it and that will get you more berries. My wife has made elderberry syrup in past years. She prefers that to tincture. Sweet beats bitter for palatability. But if you have to buy the honey, it can get expensive. I've heard of the comb idea, but not tried it. Another technique that works well is to put stems with berries on a tray in the freezer. Once frozen, the berries fall off easily. We've done that with good results. Thanks for the comment.
Even faster way...., freeze the bouquets for at least 24 hours then slap the frozen bouquets around in a 5 gallon bucket, then use a window screen as a filter shaking it as you tilt it towards another bucket. The screen will grab the stems and let the berries roll out clean. Repeat as necessary. I've also hung bouquets over a string (on north side of house or in the shade of trees) and let dry for a month-ish. Crush dried bouquets over bucket and use screen to remove stems. Fresh / frozen berries - I extract juice with a steam extractor and steam can (1/2 tsp citric acid/quart). 3 pounds berries = 1 quart juice = 1 gallon wine
Thanks for doing this. You really do make it look easy. You also had me laughing in a few parts. Question....can you add different herbs to this recipe, such as Echinacia or Mullein. Also, can honey be added or would the alcohol ruin the honey's essential properties?? Thank for your time and hard work
Yes you can add other herbs. Add the honey in with your dose. Not the tincture. From what I’ve learned, if you add to the tincture then it’s a short shelf life. I’d love to hear differently if anyone else knows something.
I just made my first hormone tincture. I used everclear. It is so strong it burns. I even steeped hot water and poured it in there to dissolve some of the alcohol. It was still horrible!! So, this is smoother and taste better?
I never heard of aronia berries, but I have made w blueberries and huckleberries. Depends what type of medicinal properties each plant has, and what ailments you want to use it for. Research your berries.
Only if you plan to eat the whole berry. The little pip inside is mildly toxic, so a few wont hurt but you wouldn't want to have a load of raw ones. It's just the 'good stuff' that will be extracted into the alcohol. If you're using the whole berries for a jam, pie or syrup then you need to cook them first. Any brandy should have a decent enough alcohol content to do the job, so whatever you like.
Hello, thank you for the video. I will be making tincture this way in Sept. I really like the idea of Brandy instead of Everclear. Q: do you strain out the berries and discard them after the 4-6 weeks of being in the cupboard?
I don't strain out the berries until the liquid in the jar is no longer swigable. Then I dump contents into a fine-screen sieve o drain and and press out some juice with spoon pressure. I don't try to squeeze out every last drop because it's more trouble than it's worth. Best wishes with your tincture.
@@herrickkimball I see some people crushing the berries before adding alcohol. What are your thoughts on that ? I'm getting ready to do this. I'll probably add ginger and cinnamon as well.
Hey Herrick - based on your recipe I made this tincture back in the fall using organic dried elderberries - "unfortunately," none of us became viral or otherwise felt the need to imbibe. Does it store ok?
I plan to get a potato mound digging video made, for sure. But will wait to dig until the end of this month or early next. I'm in no hurry. It doesn't hurt to leave the potatoes in the soil and I think they store better if harvested later in the year.
As an herbalist in training, some herbs/roots need the higher proofs to extract the medicinal properties of the item. I've been told that one of the ways to lessen the alcohol content, and the unpleasantries is to put the dosage into a 4 ounce cup of boiling water and the alcohol will evaporate. Then you can drink it.
That's a myth, it's repeated and repeated so much people think its true, its also repeated in loads of herbal literature. The alcohol will NOT evaporate off, not possible I'm afraid. Make a strong concentrated tincture then you only have to take a tiny dose. The amount of booze in these jars with the small amount of frozen berries in the video is making an extremely un concentrated tincture so you would need to consume a lot more of that to get the benifits therefor your having to consume a lot of alcohol. Hope this helps
I am OCD when it comes to measuring out ingredients. I weigh the total amount of berries then divide by the number of jars wanting to make. That’s just me tho! Have a great night!
Absolutely L❤VE your commentary and personality. Thanks for your knowledge.
My First year making this. I have these bushes in the back yard. This is the first year I realized there's elder hiding. 🤯 Thanks
You gave me a good laugh, love your sense of humour ... and I learnt a thing or two.
Another great video! Had no idea what a treasure of information with practical instruction your channel would be. Thanks again!
100 proof vodka is 50% alcohol 50 water... but after seeing this I'll be making it with Brandy or another smooth 40 to 50% alcohol... thank you for sharing this ❤
Brandy for Brandy. 👍🙂
I use vodka. vodka doesn't affect me. a vodka tinture mixed with juice. Brandy is sugar based like rum & it makes me comatous from the high sugar.
Making mine today!!! 🩷
Hi Herrick, thanks so much for your Elder berry Tincture directions. Can you please tell me how yo make it using dried Elderberries? On the West Coast we din’t have fresh ones. Thanks!
Yay Central NY! I'm harvesting Elderberries for the first time this year on our plants. Let's say I live in the southern Fingerlakes, and hello Herrick!
That is awesome! Thank you so much ❤
+1 for a new to me HK video. Awesome.
Instead of wasting time with picking berries…put in bag, and freeze, when frozen, rap the bag on co7nter and berries will fall off…then you can pull out unripe.
You still have those tiny stems to deal with. 😳 The one thing I hate about elderberry.
@@Momma_Tomma Very few, if any.
Never works for me...I get stems and berries
I guess that’s why strainers were invented 🤷🏽♀@@maried3717
Have you ever made an elderberry tinchure with frozen berries?
Thank you for this video!!!!
Your visions like mine. I can see better, up close without my glasses than I can see with them. They change every three months.
Do you strain out the berries before consuming or leave them in the brandy tincture?
I leave them in until the contents gets real low, then press the berries to get the last of the juice.
Loved it.
Especially the humor ❤❤
If your elderberry trees are too tall, you can cut them back quite harshly and they will regrow quickly. It's almost impossible to kill an elderberry.
I'm so glad! There's an elderberry bush in my back yard that "accidentally" got mowed. Things are growing back quite nicely.
Excellent; thank you!
Thank you
I grew up picking those berries off the stems. Then mom would juice them in the steam juicer, fill lots of bottles with dark juice we drank over winter. I like the idea of tincture, takes less space, holds well.
Great video! I wonder if you could extract with the Everclear, evaporate off some of the alcohol and remix in a type of liquid that doesn't burn as much. I am just trying to think of a way for it to burn less and be better for my smaller family members. Great video and thanks for getting me thinking. Now time to plant some elderberry.
Thank you. I don't know how the evaporation idea will work. Yes, you should plant a couple elderberry. 👍
Try using 1 part local honey to 1 part elderberry.
Cover and burp jar daily for 2 weeks (turn jar over each day to keep berries coated). ...when burping jar don't open to let oxygen in- just barely twist lid to allow gasses out.
It will ferment and make honey thin out. After 2+ weeks strain berries and use fermented elderberry honey as you wish...shelf stable.
Use glycerine as an extraction element. That won't burn and will be good for kids.
But you will probably want to dry your berries to get a reduced moisture content before starting a glycerine tincture.
Everclear is used for bark, branchy stuff, and tough leaves. It needs to be extra strong alcohol to pull out the constituents. For soft things like berries, you need a very low proof alcohol, 40-60 proof or even up to 80 proof if that's all you have.
Tinctures last literally forever, but being able to use them easily without it burning so bad your mouth is scorched from Everclear is essential. You can add the Everclear version to water or tea or juice, but you can't take it straight. It can give your mouth, throat and stomach a chemical burn. So using the proper alcohol of 40-60 proof is really important unless you want to add the mixture to another liquid to buffer the Everclear.
I'm an herbalist and have been trained on all this, and we use it exclusively on our homestead and I sell it too...
@@everythinghomestead9222
I'm curious what you think of what I was taught by another.
I was taught to use Everclear with things that have a lot of moisture (leaves you have not dried, berries you have not dried, etc). And to use 80 proof alcohol on everything which has been dried.
Does that fit with what you were trained in? Or does that go counter to what you were taught? Or is there some context I'm missing?
Thank you.
Berry envy. I planted 3 elders about 5 years ago, but our suburban deer problem kept foiling my fencing. Aggravating. Love the idea of a self reliant, medicinal syrup.
I put fence wire around my bushes to keep the deer off.
You have very healthy deer.😃😃
Good info & vid
Never thought of using brandy...and your right about ever clear and vodka being real harsh. Going to do brandy this year.
Wow, that’s a lot of elderberries on those bushes! My elderberry Bush is about 25 feet tall and very, very old. I think I need to plant some new ones, I’m not getting many berries anymore. I always make elderberry syrup myself. Tincture would probably be healthier, but I don’t drink alcohol and I don’t really care for the taste of elderberries. I add cinnamon, lemon and honey to the juice. There is a faster and easier way to get the berries off the stems, just use a wide toothed comb and rake them off. Then you can pick the unripe ones out. But I know you like tedium!
Maybe prune it and that will get you more berries. My wife has made elderberry syrup in past years. She prefers that to tincture. Sweet beats bitter for palatability. But if you have to buy the honey, it can get expensive. I've heard of the comb idea, but not tried it. Another technique that works well is to put stems with berries on a tray in the freezer. Once frozen, the berries fall off easily. We've done that with good results. Thanks for the comment.
Even faster way...., freeze the bouquets for at least 24 hours then slap the frozen bouquets around in a 5 gallon bucket, then use a window screen as a filter shaking it as you tilt it towards another bucket. The screen will grab the stems and let the berries roll out clean. Repeat as necessary.
I've also hung bouquets over a string (on north side of house or in the shade of trees) and let dry for a month-ish. Crush dried bouquets over bucket and use screen to remove stems.
Fresh / frozen berries - I extract juice with a steam extractor and steam can (1/2 tsp citric acid/quart). 3 pounds berries = 1 quart juice = 1 gallon wine
@@carfvallrightsreservedwith6649 Great ideas, thanks!
@@carfvallrightsreservedwith6649 Thanks, you answered my question about 'how long to leave them in the freezer.'
I'd just cut it back my friend does and hers just keeps growing ... you can do cuttings from Yours aswell, they root very easily
Can you use dried elderberries to make the tincture? Thanks so much. Very informative!
Yes. I think you might want to rehydrate before making the tincture. But not sure. You would want to research that.
Thanks for doing this. You really do make it look easy.
You also had me laughing in a few parts.
Question....can you add different herbs to this recipe, such as Echinacia or Mullein.
Also, can honey be added or would the alcohol ruin the honey's essential properties??
Thank for your time and hard work
Yes you can add other herbs. Add the honey in with your dose. Not the tincture. From what I’ve learned, if you add to the tincture then it’s a short shelf life. I’d love to hear differently if anyone else knows something.
Can I reuse the berries to make a second batch?
I've never done it but I see no reason why not.
I just made my first hormone tincture. I used everclear. It is so strong it burns. I even steeped hot water and poured it in there to dissolve some of the alcohol. It was still horrible!! So, this is smoother and taste better?
The Everclear is downright nasty. Brandy is much more agreeable, in my opinion.
Can you use aronia berries and do the same?
I don't know. Perhaps someone else can answer this...
I never heard of aronia berries, but I have made w blueberries and huckleberries. Depends what type of medicinal properties each plant has, and what ailments you want to use it for. Research your berries.
Can you make a tincture from dried berries?
Cannot find fresh
Yes you need only 1/3 dried berries to 2/3 alcohol
What kind of brandy did you use? And I thought you had to cook the elderberries so they were not toxic first.
Only if you plan to eat the whole berry. The little pip inside is mildly toxic, so a few wont hurt but you wouldn't want to have a load of raw ones. It's just the 'good stuff' that will be extracted into the alcohol. If you're using the whole berries for a jam, pie or syrup then you need to cook them first.
Any brandy should have a decent enough alcohol content to do the job, so whatever you like.
Hello, thank you for the video. I will be making tincture this way in Sept. I really like the idea of Brandy instead of Everclear.
Q: do you strain out the berries and discard them after the 4-6 weeks of being in the cupboard?
I don't strain out the berries until the liquid in the jar is no longer swigable. Then I dump contents into a fine-screen sieve o drain and and press out some juice with spoon pressure. I don't try to squeeze out every last drop because it's more trouble than it's worth. Best wishes with your tincture.
@@herrickkimball I see some people crushing the berries before adding alcohol. What are your thoughts on that ? I'm getting ready to do this. I'll probably add ginger and cinnamon as well.
Good vid. You have a Bill Burr Kidna vibe btw!
How long will it last in the pantry ?
Thank you
two to three years. Some will say indefinitely.
Everybody enjoys a "smoother" tincture 😁
What did you do before being an elderberry specialist?
I was a garlic powder guru 🙂... amzn.to/3Bcv22Z
Can you use dried elderberries?
Does the tincture get rid of the cyanide that’s in the berries? I know when you make a syrup, you’re supposed to cook them down.
Would recommend washing the elderberry before freezing them
Can you use 40% whisky
I'm not sure. I would give it a try if that's what you have, or what you like. My guess would be that it will do the job.
👍
How long is it good?
Hard to say. Alcohol has indefinite shelf life. I've used my own homemade tincture that was over three years old.
@herrickkimball ok well i used exactly what u did.
👍👍👍
Hey Herrick - based on your recipe I made this tincture back in the fall using organic dried elderberries - "unfortunately," none of us became viral or otherwise felt the need to imbibe. Does it store ok?
Hi John, Yes, it keeps. I didn't use much of what I made last winter. Will have it for next year, and probably the year after.
I used Gin for alcohol is that ok
Yes
waiting for update on digging potatos
I plan to get a potato mound digging video made, for sure. But will wait to dig until the end of this month or early next. I'm in no hurry. It doesn't hurt to leave the potatoes in the soil and I think they store better if harvested later in the year.
@@herrickkimball thanks!
So easy, but I thought you had to cook the berries to remove toxins?
I've never cooked the berries for tincture. I don't think that is done. Perhaps cooking the berries is best when the seeds are going to be consumed?
North American elderberries do not need to be cooked. European elderberries contain a lot of cyanide and need to be cooked to remove it.
Aren't you supposed to cook it first, they said you can get sick if you eat them raw??????? 🤔
The seeds are what you don’t want to chew up I’ve read unless cooked
You'd have a very hard time drinking
I don't drink it. I sip it. 😁
Don't kill any insects 😢
As an herbalist in training, some herbs/roots need the higher proofs to extract the medicinal properties of the item.
I've been told that one of the ways to lessen the alcohol content, and the unpleasantries is to put the dosage into a 4 ounce cup of boiling water and the alcohol will evaporate. Then you can drink it.
Thank you for the tip I needed that.. 👍
A lot of it has so do with the amount of water in the berry. If I'm using a normal proof like vodka or brandy, I dry the berries first.
That's a myth, it's repeated and repeated so much people think its true, its also repeated in loads of herbal literature. The alcohol will NOT evaporate off, not possible I'm afraid. Make a strong concentrated tincture then you only have to take a tiny dose. The amount of booze in these jars with the small amount of frozen berries in the video is making an extremely un concentrated tincture so you would need to consume a lot more of that to get the benifits therefor your having to consume a lot of alcohol. Hope this helps
I’ll bet U spill a lot that stuff…😅
I am OCD when it comes to measuring out ingredients. I weigh the total amount of berries then divide by the number of jars wanting to make. That’s just me tho! Have a great night!
Can you use dried out elderberries?
Yes you can just use a bit less dried elderberries so they can expand.