BLACKBERRY OXYMEL for sore throats and colds

Pick ripe blackberries and put them in a glass or china bowl together with enough vinegar to just cover them.  Put a plate over the bowl and leave for two days. Crush the berries with a potato masher. Strain the juice thro’ a sieve or jelly bag into a measuring jug and pour into a saucepan. Add half the volume of honey. Boil for 5 minutes. Bottle or freeze in ice cube trays. I tablespoon in hot water as a tonic or frequently to relieve cold symptoms.

 

ELDERBERRY ROB anti-viral tonic; cold and flu remedy

Put ripe berries in a saucepan with half their volume of water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Cool and squeeze out all the juice. Measure the juice and for every 500mls of liquid add 250g muscovado sugar, a stick of cinnamon and a few cloves and 4 slices of lemon. Simmer fro 20 minutes and pour into sterilised bottles whilst still hot. Use 1 teaspoonful every couple of hours for colds or flu, or once a day as a preventative tonic thro’out the autumn/winter. Delicious! 

 

HAWTHORN BERRY TINCTURE- for heart tonic- palpitations, irregular heart beat and mild angina. (on the advice of your Herbalist!)

Put the berries in a blender with enough vodka to cover them. Blend to a mush. Put in a wide necked jar and leave in a cool place for a month. Squeeze out the liquid using a jelly bag. Bottle and label and it will keep for several years- though made fresh every autumn is best. I teaspoon a day as a general tonic .