Nine Star Ki, Bach Flower and Medicinal Tea Class

Setsubun ((節分) is February 3, the day before the beginning of spring/the new year in the old calendar in Japan is over, and Nine Star Ki’s new year has started. (it starts the day after Setsubun).

This year’s my first class was held last weekend. 

I taught Nine Star Ki, Bach Flowers, and Medicinal Tea (support winter organs, kidneys, and bladders).

See what kind of year you will be in 2023 at Nine Star Ki, and get help to spend this year mentally (emotionally) meaningfully at Batch Flower. 

Traditionally, the Kyoko area has new year’s tea Obukucha (Kombu kelp and Umeboshi plum tea with green tea), but I chose the medicinal tea of Nettle instead of green tea with Kombucha kelp and Umeboshi plum for the class. 

The hour-and-a-half class ended in no time.

First, I asked everyone to write down their goals from this year (and three years and ten years), what is preventing them from progressing toward that goal, and what they are doing to reach it.

After that, I explained briefly by checking everyone’s Nine Star Ki number.

Many people who participated in the class were with Three Tree. Other people were Two Soil, Four Tree, and Seven Metal.

This year’s Nine Star Ki is “Four Tree” in the center (above is Nine Star Ki Basic “Five Soil” is in the center). Four Tree is growing and prosperous in Nine Star Ki. 

To thrive this year, we all need to be in shape.  What does mean “need to be in shape”?  It is not a physical shape the case.

In the class, I explained to everyone that after planting seeds of what you want to do and it sprouts, then thinning is sorting out/shaping up the things that have sprouted and grown and focusing on only the things you want to grow. 

It also means that you must clean up what you have been procrastinating or not connecting with your feelings, so you also need to mentally and emotionally organize yourself.

For example, those who attended the class, especially for people with Three Tree are in the position of growing up more this year, so they need to be thinned out.

The person with the Two Soil was in the position of sowing seeds last year, so it is necessary to water and give the sunshine so the seeds will sprout and spend every day regularly.

People with Four Tree‘s nature is growing in Nine Star Kinninth, but this year they are in the center position. They might feel the energy from the left, right, up, and down (it means from everywhere or everybody)will come in, so they might support other people’s prosperity more than themselves. Remembering to support yourself to grow more this year is important. 

Seven Metal person is the year of sowing this year. It’s the year to start new things.

 

It’s different from Nine Star Ki, but this year’s Chinese zodiac is Water Rabbit year.

The Rabbit represents peaceful and patient energyThe Rabbit is a gentle creature known for thinking things through before actingThis energy will encourage us to approach challenges and opportunities calmly and rationally. In addition to the Rabbit’s peaceful energy, the Water element brings intuition and inner peace. Water is all about tapping into our inner wisdom and trusting our instincts. It encourages us to be more in tune with our emotions and sensitive to those around us.

As the Year of the Rabbit 2023 has come, it’s time to tap into its energy and make the most of it. Let’s focus on building strong connections with loved ones, colleagues, and anyone else in our lives.  After all, the Rabbit is known for its ability to create and maintain harmonious relationships.

Next, let’s turn our attention to our careers. 2023 is the perfect time to focus on professional development and advancement. Take advantage of networking opportunities, build relationships with colleagues, and even consider taking on new projects or additional responsibilities.

Of course, the Rabbit represents wealth and prosperity, so according to the Chinese horoscope 2023, it’s a great time to focus on our finances and work towards increasing our income. Whether it’s investing in stocks, property, or other types of savings plans, now is the time to make smart financial moves.

But let’s remember the importance of being cautious. The Rabbit is also associated with trustfulness and an easygoing attitude, but it’s essential to be vigilant regarding potential scams or frauds. Trust, but verify.

On a more creative note, the Rabbit is also associated with creativity and artistic talents. So, let’s tap into our inner artists and explore our creative side. The possibilities are endless, whether it’s taking up a new hobby, trying your hand at painting, writing, or any other form of art that you’re interested in.

Lastly, the Rabbit is also associated with taking care of oneself, so let’s prioritize self-care and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eating well, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep will help us stay balanced and take advantage of the positive energy of the year. By following these tips, we can make the most of the Year of the Rabbit 2023 and take advantage of the positive energy and opportunities it brings.

[Source:  The Chinese Zodiac]


Bach Flower Remedy.

I asked people what they were going through emotionally and mentally.

These are examples of people who attended classes that they needed for Bach Flower Remedy recommendations:

Person in transition – Walnut

People who can’t see the future – Wild Oat

Anxious people – Mimulus

Those who feel resentment for what happened – Willow

Setback –  Gentian

People who are taking care of their families all the time and are overwhelmed by responsibility – Elm

Overthinking – White Chestnut

Everyone got their remedies to take home. They will take 2 drops of Bach Flower Remedy at least 4 times a day for 1-2 weeks. I look forward to seeing how all students progress with their remedies.

 

 

For the Medicinal Tea, I chose Nettle, which is rich in minerals and suitable for the New Year.

 

For the New Year, Kombu kelp (I get it from The Seaweed Man)and Umeboshi plum (Check my blog: Santa Monica Homemade Umeboshi plums)with green tea is a traditional drink in the Kyoko area in Japan. 

Nettle instead of green tea, which supports the kidneys and bladder and is also beneficial for the liver and lungs.

Kelp benefits the kidneys, bladder, liver, and stomach.

Umeboshi is an alkaline food that aids intestinal function and relieves fatigue, detoxifies, sore throat, fatty liver, and cholesterol, and purifies water.

Herbal tea is easy to make at home, and you can drink it and take care of yourself.

Please give it a try.

Love,

Sanae❤️

Please email me if you are interested in Bach Flower online classes or individual consultations.

Also, if you are interested in Medicinal Tea consultation, please let me know by email.

sanaehealing@gmail.com

Elderberry Enzyme Syrup & Juice

One of the seasonal works I do in summer with Eric is harvesting wild elderberries in North Fork.

It is usually after Umeboshi plums making in the end of June to the end of July.

 

Elderberry has antioxidants and many benefits for our health.

I posted my blog before on how to make elderberry tea with more information about its benefits.

https://sanaesuzuki.com/2017/02/27/healing-elderberry-tea/

I was making elderberry tea with dried elderberry most of the time since I could not harvest many fresh ones, but last year the timing was perfect when I went to North Fork, so I got so many fresh elderberries.
I saved some to dry for making tea later and tried to make enzyme syrup, juice and jam with extra fresh elderberry.

I only made Ume plum enzyme juice and Kombucha, so I did not know how elderberry works for making the enzyme syrup/juice. Wow, wow…it was so delicious.  Beautiful enzyme bubbles!!!

I wanted make it again this year so every time I went to North Fork this year, I checked elder trees and hoped I would be able to harvest enough fresh ones this year too.

The elderberry flowers had a soft aroma (I made syrup and skin oil with the flowers, which I will share someday). After the flowers, the green berries were so cute.

Elder trees did not disappoint me. Thank you, elderberry trees!

Here is the juice I made this year.

It is similar to Red Shiso Juice I shared before.

https://sanaesuzuki.com/2019/07/22/red-shiso-juice-delicious-summer-remedy-drink-for-health/

The difference is I did not add any water and no cooking. It is only elderberries and beet sugar. They are fermented together.

Elderberry Enzyme Juice Recipe

Ingredients

  • 300 g (about 10 oz) fresh elderberries
  • 150~600 g (about 5~20oz) sweetener (I used beet sugar) 

To make juice to drink

  • 1 tablespoon, less or more (depending on how sweet you want)
  • 1 cup, cold sparkling water, cold spring water, or hot spring water
  • 1 tablespoons, lemon juice and a slice of lemon

Instructions

1. Prepare elderberries; trim the stems from elderberries after harvesting them. You can leave some of the leaves and stems for enforcing enzymes. There might be insects, so be careful handling them.

2. Wash elderberries with water and cleans them carefully. 

3. Strain the water of elderberries in a basket and dry them as much as you can.

4. Place elderberries in a bottle jar and add beet sugar.

5. Shake the jar to mix them as much as you can.

6. Leave them a cool dark place near you and shake it every day or every other day. You can also mix it with your clean dry hand.

 

7. It should be ready to drink in about 3~4 weeks.

8. To drink Elderberry enzyme syrup as juice, you put 1~2 tablespoons of elderberry enzyme syrup and add about 1 cup of cold sparkling water or spring water. I usually do not put ice cubes, but If you like, you can add ice cubes. Lemon juice and a slice of lemons enhance the taste too.

 

You can also put hot/warm water for someone who loves a warm drink/tea.

I hope you like it and enjoy Elderberry Enzyme Juice!

Love, Sanae ❤️

P.S. Here is Elderberry Mocktail recipe that I posted for new year, if you like to try something new.

https://sanaesuzuki.com/2020/12/31/new-year-elderberry-mocktail/

Liver Healing Remedy Drink

Spring is here. 
Chinese medicine and macrobiotic practice that spring associated with the Liver organ.  (One of my books, “Love, Sanae” has a list of five transformations of each seasons’ organs, foods, emotions, and temperaments, etc.)
 
I was diagnosed Only Weeks to Live with stage IV Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the Liver almost four years ago. 
I just went to see my oncologist, Dr. Mead at UCLA hospital in Santa Monica. She told me that lymphoma has a recurrence record after 3~5 years of treatments so I have passed the first step and she was very pleased. 
 

Photo: with my oncologist Dr. Mead (too bad that you can’t see our big smile because of wearing the mask).

 
 
This lymphoma was my second cancer (the first one was ovarian cancer). I was very sick and weak this time and felt that I might die. I was over 60 years old so even though I did not want to take chemotherapy, but the holistic approach was not catching up with cancer.   I wanted to live so I decided to take chemo treatments with my macrobiotic practice.   It was one of the hardest things I had experienced. (My blog “Chemo Sucks!“)

Dr. Mead does not know what is holistic approach nor macrobiotics practice, but she has seen what I applied to help my conditions when I was taking chemotherapies and through now with healing remedy drinks, macrobiotic plant-based foods, holistic modalities, meditation, etc., and she trusts me that I have been taking care of myself. 

 I would like to start sharing more about what I have been doing to help my conditions. 

 The first one is my morning ritual remedy drink.

 I have experienced that this remedy is helping me even with side effects from chemotherapy too.

  I really hope you try taking this remedy for yourself.

 
Liver Healing Remedy Drink
 

It is best to drink one cup in the morning before you drink or eat something. After you drink this remedy, 30~60 minutes later, you can eat breakfast or drink something else.

4 cups spring water.                                                              
1 tablespoon organic dried burdock root                              
1 tablespoon organic dried dandelion root                            
1 tablespoon organic dried nettle leaves or organic dandelion leaves
 
 
1. Add all the roots first in the water and bring the water to boil and when it boils, turn the heat to lower, then add nettle or dandelion leaves to simmer for 15~20 minutes.
 
 

Photo: add roots ingredients first.

 

 

 

Photo: Bring the roots ingredients to boil.

 

Photo: Add leaves to simmer.

 

 

 

 

2. Strain the tea and drink one cup at a time/day and cool the rest of the tea to storage in the refrigerator and heat one cup at a time to drink.

3. I recommend drinking this without sweetener, but if you must, then I would recommend one teaspoon of brown rice syrup, a half teaspoon of maple syrup, or beet sugar. No honey, brown sugar, white sugar, palm sugar, or cane sugar.

If you are going to use a teabag, then use one teabag of each ingredient with 2 cups of spring water.

I make mine with also red clover and horsetail to support bone health since I broke my bone after chemotherapy while I was hiking with my dogs. You add 1 tablespoon of each ingredient and add one more cup of spring water. You add them with nettle or dandelion after boiled roots.

All the ingredients can be purchase at Natural Food Market that carry dried herbs near you. I usually get mine from  Co-opportunity Market (this website is near me in Santa Monica and Culver City in California, but if you have Co-opportunity Market then I think you can buy there too ) and Online herb stores: Mountain Rose Herbs   and   StarWest Botanical

Below is itemize what all these ingredients help.

Burdock root – Antioxidants, which remove toxins from the blood, may inhibit some types of cancer.

Dandelion root – Potent antioxidants. help fight inflammation. aid blood sugar control. help reduce cholesterol. may lower blood pressure. promote a healthy liver. aid weight loss.
 
Nettle leaves – Reduce inflammation, hay fever symptoms, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
 
Dandelion leaves – Antioxidants, reduce inflammation, reducing cancer risk, boosting the immune system.
 
Red clover – Osteoporosis, arthritis, hot flashes, skin and hair disorders.
 
Horsetail – Supports bone health, acts as a natural diuretic,  promotes wound healing and nail health, promotes hair growth.
 
 
The liver is one of the organs that really important to support your health. It is always working to regulate most chemical levels in our body blood and excretes a product called bile. This helps carry away waste products from the liver. All the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver.
 
Anybody who has taken any medication, not eating balanced food, oily food, drink alcohol, sugary juice, living in cities, and experience frustration so on…means everybody, right?
 
 
 
You can check online easily about how to take care of your liver, etc, but here are what I read so I want to share them with you.
 

The primary functions of the liver are:

  • Bile production and excretion.
  • Excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol, hormones, and drugs.
  • Metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
  • Enzyme activation.
  • Storage of glycogen, vitamins, and minerals.
  • Synthesis of plasma proteins, such as albumin, and clotting factors.

The symptoms of poor liver function?

Symptoms

  • Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)
  • Abdominal pain and swelling.
  • Swelling in the legs and ankles.
  • Itchy skin.
  • Dark urine color.
  • Pale stool color.
  • Chronic fatigue.
  • Nausea or vomiting.
I really think that you do not need to wait for till showing any symptoms. Once a liver is showing symptoms, it will take a long time to heal so the key is to proactive and support the liver. In my case, I did not have any symptoms and I was very sick with lymphoma.

Here are 13 tried and true ways to achieve liver wellness

  1. Maintain a healthy weight. … 
  2. Eat a balanced diet. … 
  3. Exercise regularly. … 
  4. Avoid toxins. … 
  5. Use alcohol responsibly. … 
  6. Avoid the use of illicit drugs. … 
  7. Avoid contaminated needles. … 
  8. Get medical care if you’re exposed to blood.
  9. This is my liver wellness…enjoy your life and take a rest!

I believe that taking care of your liver saves your health and life.

Have a supportive liver healing remedy drink!

Love, 

Sanae❤️


 

Medicinal Rosehips Tea

Roses were not my favorite flowers till I was 14 years old, so I never grew them till later in my life. But when I was 7 or 8 years old, I saw rose bushes for the first time. I noticed that there were red balls that could be fruits or a seed of the flowers. As a curious girl, I had to pick it and put it in my mouth. It was kind of sour tasting with a hint of sweetness, but it was not sweet enough for me, being a child who loved sugary food and dessert at that time. So, I didn’t think about it for a long time, and I just enjoyed roses as beautiful flowers.

650 Wild Rose Flower

Wild rose flower in North Fork, California.

650 Rose hips 2017

Wild Rosehips in North Fork, California.

I started to make different healing teas when I took an herbology class from David Craw (founder of Learning Garden in Venice, CA and Floracopeia) in 1998 at California Healing Arts College. David harvested wild native herbs before the class, and we made tea and learned the benefits of the herbs and how they have been helping humans’ health for a long time. It was fascinating to me, and I learned so much about how plants and herbs can help us. Because of this class, I got more curious about making all kinds of herbal tea and flower tea, since I love tea so much. Later on, I found out rosehips are the seeds of rose flowers, and my childhood memory of that sour taste, with a hint of sweetness of the fruits, came back to me.

I got curious again and found so many benefits of rosehips by making tea, jelly, jam, soup, oil, etc. Rose plants do not just produce beautiful flowers; I think they are medicinal plants that can fit in the herbs and spices category.

Wikipedia says: “In general use, herbs are any plants used for food, flavoring, medicine, or fragrances for their savory or aromatic properties. Culinary use typically distinguishes herbs from spices. Herbs refer to the leafy green or flowering parts of a plant (either fresh or dried), while spices are produced from other parts of the plant (usually dried), including seeds, berries, bark, roots and fruits.”

650 Eric & Leo rosehips picking

Wild rosehips bush. You can see Eric and Leo standing by the bish, how big this rose bush is.

Rosehips picking Eric 2017

Big rosehips!

I found wild big rose bushes when Eric and I started to go to North Fork, California, in 2004. I noticed they produced big rosehips every year, from around Thanksgiving to the end of the year. So, we have been harvesting fresh, wild rosehips every year and have been making the tea. Its sour and naturally sweet taste are soothing to me since I’ve matured and do not eat sugary food or dessert anymore. I have offered North Fork rosehip tea to our friends many times. They’ve usually never had rosehip tea before, but everyone loves it. I love its pink to reddish color. It is perfect to serve for the holiday season.

 

As an end-of-year gratitude/gift (in Japan, we call it Oseibo) for people who read my blog, I want to share my rosehip tea recipe. I hope you enjoy making it, enjoy the taste, and also get the benefits of the tea.

WHERE TO PURCHASE ROSEHIPS

Whole Rosehips

iHerb

Bulk Apothecary

Seedless Rosehips

Mountain Rose Herbs

Starwest Botanicals

Tea Bags

Jet

650 Rosehips Tes with dried and fresh rosehips 2013

Rosehips tea with dried rosehips and fresh rosehips.

 

ROSEHIP TEA RECIPE

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons dried rosehips (whole ) or 4 teaspoons dried rosehip (crushed/cut/sifted)
  • 4 cups water (filtered)
  • Brown rice syrup or maple syrup (optional)
  1. Add the rosehips to a stainless steel or glass pot (make sure the pot can be put directly on the stove), along with the water.
  2. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer for depending on how strong you want to make the tea. I usually simmer for 15 ~ 30 minutes for whole rosehips and  5–15 minutes for crushed/cut/sifted rosehips.
  3. Remove from the heat, and pour it into your favorite cup.
  4. I like the tea as-is, but if desired, you can add 1 teaspoon brown rice syrup or maple syrup for sweetness.
  5. Enjoy!

 

I rotate between drinking rosehip tea a few times a week for a while, and then stopping and drinking Elderberry Tea (my blog) and/or Kukicha (my blog).

650 Rosehips with Eric 2000

It was a good harvesting of rosehips!

 

BENEFITS

Rosehips have many benefits. Here are just some of the health conditions they help alleviate: weakened immune system, skin conditions, chronic pain, indigestion, high toxicity levels, arthritis, gout, inflammatory conditions, high cholesterol, hypertension, and increased risk of heart disease or cancer (reference: Style Craze, Organic Facts).

 

Strengthens Immunity

The rosehips are extremely high in vitamin C, which can pack a major punch for a better immune system. It will increase your white blood cell count and stimulate growth, especially if you are recovering from an injury, illness or surgery.

Skin Care

Many people drink rosehip tea to improve the appearance of the skin, as this herbal blend is known to be astringent in nature, while also delivering those powerful antioxidants to the areas of the skin that need it most. This can help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, speed healing of irritated or dry skin, and prevent infections and inflammation, such as flare-ups of psoriasis, eczema, and acne.

Acts as an Analgesic

The carotenoids and flavonoids found in rosehip tea have analgesic properties, making this tea a great pain reliever. Whether it is chronic pain of arthritis or acute pain of injuries or sprains, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties can work very quickly.

Reduces Inflammation

Studies done on rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis showed that rosehip tea can significantly improve mobility and reduce inflammation, improving the quality of life and lowering oxidative stress in those inflamed tissues. This is also helpful for digestion, as these anti-inflammatory properties can soothe the tissues in the gut while regulating bowel movements and ensuring proper nutrient uptake.

Detoxifies the Body

Rosehip tea is known to have both laxative and diuretic properties, which can help the body eliminate toxins, and unwanted fats and salts in an efficient way. If you are struggling with constipation, low metabolism, or a weakened immune system, it can be a good idea to flush the toxins out and reduce the load on the kidneys and liver. This tea can help you do that by stimulating faster digestion and increasing the frequency of urination.

Help Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis

In one study, patients who received rose hip showed greater improvements in arthritic conditions (18). In another study conducted back in 2008, rose hip powder had reduced pain in the hips, joints, and knees by about a third (19). The study was conducted on 300 osteoarthritis patients.

Rose hips also contain the fatty acid GOPO, which, as per experts, is the plant version of fish oil. And GOPO could be one of the contributing factors for the fruit’s anti-arthritic properties. Rosehip extract pills were found to reduce arthritic pain by as much as 90 percent (20). In fact, one popular arthritic medicine called LitoZin is made from processed ground rose hips.

Another important quality about rose hips (with respect to treating arthritic symptoms) is they don’t have ulcerogenic effects like certain other medications.

Additional Vitamin C Benefits

Rose hips are so full of vitamin C that the nutrient deserves a special mention. By the way, did you know that the fruit contains 60 times the vitamin C found in an orange?

One of the major benefits of vitamin C is collagen production. Collagen is a protein that forms the connective tissue in the body. The vitamin also treats inflammation and improves immunity. It prevents scurvy, a disease that can cause muscle weakness, joint pains, rashes, and tooth loss (14).

The vitamin C in rose hips also helps maintain the health of blood vessels. And because of the high levels of this vitamin, even the American Indian tribes had used the tea from the fruit to treat respiratory ailments (15).

Here’s a quick tip for you – when it comes to cooking rose hips (or any food rich in vitamin C), never use aluminum pans or utensils as they can destroy the vitamin in the food (16).

Vitamin C in rose hips also helps your body absorb iron better (17). Iron has several benefits, the major one being preventing anemia and keeping your blood healthy. And yes, vitamin C also treats and prevents cold and flu symptoms. So, you don’t have to worry even if the seasons are changing.

Lower Cholesterol

Regular intake of rose hip extract has been linked to lowered cholesterol levels (13). The fruit is particularly effective in obese patients – patients who consumed a drink made of rose hip powder daily for six weeks saw a significant drop in their total blood cholesterol levels by as much as 5 percent. This drop can even reduce the risk of heart disease by 17 percent. Rosehip can also be used as a safe alternative to anti-cholesterol drugs (like statins) that might have side effects.

Prevents Cardiovascular Diseases

There is a large body of research into the cardiovascular impact of rosehips, primarily due to the high levels of antioxidants present in these fruits. Specifically, studies have shown that leucoanthocyanins and polyphenolic compounds in rosehip tea can lower the risk of heart disease. This tea is also rich in lycopene, which has been directly linked to lower the occurrences of cardiovascular diseases.

Prevents Cancer

Many of the antioxidants in rosehip tea are praised for their anti-cancer abilities, as they are able to seek out and neutralize free radicals before they can cause oxidative stress, and can make it more difficult for cancerous cells to multiply, generate energy, and continue attacking the body. Research on the link between cancer and rosehips is ongoing, but early results show a very promising connection.

 

If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or on medication, please consult with your doctor before drinking rosehip tea.

 

650 Rosehips close up

Jewel of rosehips.

Love,

Sanae 💖

Healing Elderberry Tea

Elderberry has so many benefits for us. 

Antioxidants (Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against free radicals, which may play a role in heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.) activity lowers cholesterol, improves vision, boosts the immune system, and improves heart health, coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections, and tonsillitis. 

Sauce: http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-elderberry.html 

Affinity/ Systems affected: Lungs and liver Sauce: https://www.holistichealthherbalist.com/the-benefits-of-elderberry/

I only saw Elderberry as syrup and candies that you can buy at a store before. I never saw fresh Elderberries till we went to North Fork, California (near Yosemite National Park).

Since all the commercial Elderberry tea/syrup/candies have sugar, I did not try them. I did not think about finding dried Elderberries in any stores. I did not know what Elderberry tasted like.
Thanks to Linda in North Fork for giving me the dried Elderberries she harvested from her property for the first time so I could make it my Elderberry tea. She also told me how to make it too.

When I first tasted it, I felt such an earthy healing taste and could tell my cough would be gone quickly.
It is delicious and easy to make it.
You can add rice syrup with dried elderberries, herbs, and spices if you like.
It is super immune-boosting.
Let’s make Elderberry tea!

You can purchase dried Elderberries from

Mountainroseherbs &    Sunburst

Recipe for Simple Elderberry Tea

Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces of filtered water (2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons dried elderberries
  • 1 tsp rice syrup or maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

  1. First, put the water and elderberries into a small saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20~30 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and let it sit for 3~6 hours. This helps bring out the beneficial properties of the elderberries.
  4. Finally, strain through a fine mesh strainer and heat it up and pour into individual mugs.
  5. If you want sweetener, add rice syrup or maple syrup.

elder1

Photo: Beautiful Elderberry

Hope you enjoy homemade elderberry tea!

Love, Sanae 💖