How to Make Elderberry Tincture

From time immemorial, many berries and herbs have been used to cure a number of ailments. These naturally occurring cures have had a positive impact on the overall health of an individual without much side effects. Elderberry, whose botanical name is Sambucus canadensis, is one such fruit that has been known to cure many a malady. This berry taken in any form effectively combats symptoms of cold, flu, chest congestion and fever.

Elderberry tincture can be concocted at home, if you have the basic supplies. Even though you can purchase bottles of elderberry tincture from health food stores, making it at home will make sure that you have this remedy available all around the year whenever you need it.

Required Supplies

• Elderberries
• 100 proof vodka
• Glass mason jar
• Fork
• Colander or bowl

Method

For making the elderberry tincture, first you need to pick healthy berries. The berries should be completely ripe, since the raw ones are known to cause nausea. Ripe berries can be easily identified by the color of their skin, which may appear as deep purple-black and will also be soft to touch.

• Pluck berries that are ripe and remove them from the stems. Place the berries in a colander and wash them in running water to remove dust, dirt and other residue. Drain the water and pat the berries dry using paper towels.

• Transfer the dry berries to a separate bowl and using a fork crumble them. This will break open the berries and make it quicker for the tincture to form. Once you have muddled up the berries, put them in a mason jar. Always use a glass jar instead of a metal container, since the vodka may react with the container and render the tincture useless.

• Fill three fourth of the jar with the elderberries. Pour enough vodka in the jar so as to submerge the berries. After this cover the jar with a tight fitting lid and store it in a cool, dry place. The tincture may take approximately 6 weeks to steep. Shake the jar after every two days to assimilate the berries in the vodka.

• Check for the potency of the tincture after a couple of weeks. You may have to refill the vodka if there is less amount, since the berries soak up the alcohol. If you see black elderberry tincture in the jar, then it means that the tincture is ready to be used.

The recommended dosage of elderberry tincture is 20 drops for adults and 10 drops, in case of children. This can be taken twice or thrice per day after diluting it in a glass of water. This can continue till the illness gets cured completely. 

There are also a number of benefits of elderberry tincture in terms of the overall health of the body system. A few of the health benefits have been mentioned as under.

• Opens up the nasal passage and provides relief from common cold and sore throat
• Clears chest congestion, thereby curing cough and bronchitis
• Fights against sinusitis and other infections

• Facilitates easy bowel movements and relieves constipation
• Reduces fever, muscle aches, runny eyes and other signs of flu
• Acts as a detoxifying agent and astringent for a blemish free skin

Even though this herbal supplement is an effective cure for a number of respiratory disorders, if you experience any side effects post usage, consult a herbalist or health care provider. Also consult the physician before taking any herbal supplement to avoid unwanted complications. Stay healthy!