Elder Flower

Description

Has been used forever it seems and it is a very powerful healing plant. There are many ways in which Elder helps to cleanse and revitalize the body and all of its qualities are probably not fully understood even today. One of the qualities of Elder is as an astringent, which tightens, tones, and stops secretions in body tissue. Flower infusions can be used as a gargle for sore throats.

Origin(s): Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary.

Latin Name(s): Sambucus nigra, Sambucus canadensis

Also known as: Black-berried European Elder, Boor Tree, European Elder, German Elder, Black Elder.

Plant Part(s) Used: Flower.

Appearance: Yellow-tan.

Aroma: Leafy, musky.

Taste: Leafy, bitter.

GMO Status: Non-GMO.

Allergen: None.

Additives: Free of any additives or preservatives.

Applications / Preparations: Can be put into capsules, teas, or infused as an herbal extract. For cosmetic use it can be infused in oil for lotions, creams, salves & balms. For decorative use can be used in potpourri.

Storage: Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Shelf Life: It is very difficult to pin down an exact expiration date for most single herbs as they do not really expire, they lose potency or strength over time but will still have value. Unlike synthetic material or drugs, herbs can contain many constituents that contribute to their medicinal effects. Even if when we know what the active constituents are, there are often many of them in a single herb, each with different rates of degradation. Some herbs lose their effect more easily. Other herbs that possess more stable compounds such as alkaloids or steroids will last much longer.

A huge part of the degradation rate of herbs depends also on the storage conditions of the herb, & even on the quality of the herb before storage – how it was grown, harvested, dried & processed. If the product is left in hot places or open to sunlight then it will degrade much quicker than if it was stored in cool, dry place & sealed tightly.

A good rule of thumb is that herbs should be stored no longer than 2-3 years but many herbs will have great strength much longer than that. To determine if a an herb is still good you can check the appearance & aroma. Herbs that are no longer acceptable will have lost much of its vibrant color & will instead appear dull & faded. The bigger key though is to smell the raw materials to see if the potent aroma is still present.