Three Powerhouse Berries:
Elderberry • Oregon Grape • Aronia
Students will make a berry tincture and berry-infused vinegar and honey to take home, along with delicious, healthy treats to enjoy during class. Come spend a fantastic morning filled with plants, food and fun! ❧
What do elderberries, Oregon grape berries and aronia berries have in common? They are all rich in anthocyanins, the plant compounds responsible for the beautiful red, purple and blue colors found in berries.
Anthocyanins are glycosides that help defend plants from environmental stressors. In the human body, they offer powerful antioxidant activity and may:
- Support the elasticity and integrity of arteries and veins
- Help balance blood sugar
- Support the body during viral illness
- Mitigate inflammation
- Support heart health
- Stimulate blood flow to the retina of the eyes
Spend a cold January morning in Suzanne’s cozy kitchen exploring the medicine, flavor and versatility of three remarkable berries. You’ll learn about the healing properties of each berry, how to properly extract and preserve their medicine, and how to create preparations people will genuinely enjoy.
As Suzanne likes to say, “Get the medicine to the people in ways they’ll enjoy, so that healing can occur.”
Food has long been used as medicine by cultures around the world, and berries make that medicine particularly delicious!
DID YOU KNOW?
Oregon grape berries can support digestive health.
Aronia berries contain more antioxidants than blueberries.
Elderberries can help reduce the symptoms associated with viral illness.
Elder is one of the best-known antiviral herbs on the market today. Elderberries may help reduce sinus inflammation and congestion, encourage sweating during a fever, support the removal of metabolic waste products, and ease cold and flu symptoms. They also contain shikimic acid, a compound used in the production of the antiviral medication Tamiflu.
We’ll also explore delicious herbal infused honeys. These versatile preparations are a wonderful option for people who do not want to use alcohol. Add them to tea, spread them on toast, spoon them over oatmeal or simply lick them right off the spoon!
We’ll connect our berry medicine to gut health, which has a tremendous influence on digestion, immunity, and our ability to cope with stress and anxiety. A healthy digestive system, including the liver, is foundational to healthy nervous and immune systems.
Students will make a berry tincture and berry-infused vinegar to take home, along with other delicious berry preparations. We’ll also make healthy treats to enjoy during class.
You’ll leave with recipes, new skills, and memories of a fantastic morning filled with plants, food and fun!
Location
The Cedar Mountain Herb School Farmlet in Sandpoint, ID (address will be emailed after registration)
What to bring
- Three to five half-pint jars
- Two 4-ounce jelly jars
- 1/2 pint 100-proof unflavored vodka
- 1/2 pint honey
- 1/2 pint organic raw apple cider vinegar
- Medium-sized bowl
- Kitchen towel
- Serving spoon
“Taking your class was one of the best decisions of my life. Seriously. Being a part of the lovely, wise world of plants has brought me back to who I am. I realized a few months ago, that the Emily I’m most happy with and the one who feels right is the Emily that gets up early every Tuesday and drives up to your homestead and is home. The space that you create and nurture and fill with the magic of herbal medicine is such a glorious place to be and learn and grow in. You, as a person and strong badass wildcrafter, are an inspiration. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Emily B
