Page 252 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

Recipes. Red Alder Decoction: 1 ounce of Red heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer the herbs
Alder Dried Bark, 1-pint (500 ml) (2 cups) of Water. until the water has reduced by 1/4 to 1/3, leaving 1 1/3
Crush or grind the dried bark into small pieces. Place to 1 1/2 cups of liquid. Cool the decoction and strain
it in a non-reactive pot with the water over medium out the bark. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Red Elderberry,

Sambucus racemosa

Red Elderberry is also known as a scarlet elder, stink-
ing elderberry, and bunchberry elder. It is native
throughout North America, Europe, and temperate
Asia. It is in the Adoxaceae (Moschatel) Family and
grows very quickly.

Identification: Red elderberry is a deciduous shrub
that grows in milder climates along rivers and in for-
ests. It appears treelike when mature, growing up to
nearly twenty feet (6 meters) in height. The branches Spit the seeds out for safety. Cooked red elderberries
of the red elderberry are often broad and tend to arch have a bitter taste and pungent odor, so it is best to mix
outwards from the center of the plant. The branches the berries with other fruits or sweeten them with
are soft to the touch and pliable, with a pithy center honey while cooking. The flowers are dried and used to
and a bumpy jointed surface. The oval shaped com- make wine and can be cooked and eaten in modera-
pound green leaves cluster along the branches, grow- tion. Dry the flowers before cooking. Do not eat any
ing outwards from the base in groups with 3 to 7 leaf- other parts of this plant as they have cyanide-produc-
lets per cluster. Leaflets are toothed and lance-shaped. ing toxins.
The growing season of the Red Elderberry begins in the I use the stems to make fireblowers as it is easy to clean
early months of spring and, once blooming, generates out their pithy center. They are also used for making
numerous tiny off-white flowers in pyramid-like clus- instruments, like flutes.
ters during the spring and summer months. Clusters of Medicinal Use. Fever Reduction, Cold
fleshy, drupe fruit grow bright red and occasionally Remedy, and Laxative: Tea or thin syrup made
purple during these months. The foliage has a potent by boiling red elderberries and consuming the liquid
odor, which is the source of one of the Red Elderberry’s
nicknames, the stinking elderberry. works as a tonic for colds, fevers, and also as a laxative.
Strain out the seeds and drink the liquid fresh after
cooking. The tea causes the body to sweat, which cools
the body. Healing compounds in the berries ease the
symptoms and help the body heal faster.

Boils, Abscesses, and Skin Infections: The
leaves of the red elderberry draw out fluid and pus
from boils and abscesses, helping to reduce swelling
and relieve pain while encouraging healing. Apply
bruised fresh leaves as a poultice. External use only.

Warning: Red elderberry berries are toxic when raw
and can cause upset stomach and indigestion; how-
Edible and Other Use: The berries are edible ever, they are safe and edible when cooked and de-
when cooked and are used in jellies, syrups, and pies. seeded. The leaves, shoots, and roots are considered
toxic and should not be eaten, even after cooking.

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