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The Elderberry Book: Forage, Cultivate, Prepare, Preserve
Your go-to guide for everything from cultivation to wine-making with one of humanity's oldest plant friends
Once a staple in homes across the world, and found along every highland, highway, and hedgerow, the forgotten elderberry is making a comeback. Its popularity as medicine is surging, its choice as an edible landscaping plant is growing, and its use for wine-making and crafts is being rediscovered.
Spanning history and geography, The Elderberry Book takes you on an adventure, deepening your appreciation of a plant that has played a crucial role across the world for thousands of years. Through this fun, inspirational, and educational resource, discover:
Elderberry's amazing history
Cultivating and foraging, from the balcony to the backyard
Various traditional food and medicine preparations
Simple wine-making techniques
Traditional crafts and tools.
This is the definitive guide to the many uses of elderberry; no matter where you are, one of humankind's oldest plant friends can provide you with anything from syrup to wine to dyes, and more.
John Moody is the founder of Whole Life Services and Whole Life Buying Club and author of The Frugal Homesteader . He is the CEO of Steader and the Executive Director of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Involved with farming, food, and homesteading over the last decade, including running an elderberry syrup business, Moody is a well-known speaker at numerous conferences and events, such as Mother Earth News and Wise Traditions. He won the 2013 Weston A. Price activist of the year award and is one of two old-timers and five rambunctious kids who farm and homestead on 35 acres in Kentucky.
Once a staple in homes across the world, and found along every highland, highway, and hedgerow, the forgotten elderberry is making a comeback. Its popularity as medicine is surging, its choice as an edible landscaping plant is growing, and its use for wine-making and crafts is being rediscovered.
Spanning history and geography, The Elderberry Book takes you on an adventure, deepening your appreciation of a plant that has played a crucial role across the world for thousands of years. Through this fun, inspirational, and educational resource, discover:
Elderberry's amazing history
Cultivating and foraging, from the balcony to the backyard
Various traditional food and medicine preparations
Simple wine-making techniques
Traditional crafts and tools.
This is the definitive guide to the many uses of elderberry; no matter where you are, one of humankind's oldest plant friends can provide you with anything from syrup to wine to dyes, and more.
John Moody is the founder of Whole Life Services and Whole Life Buying Club and author of The Frugal Homesteader . He is the CEO of Steader and the Executive Director of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Involved with farming, food, and homesteading over the last decade, including running an elderberry syrup business, Moody is a well-known speaker at numerous conferences and events, such as Mother Earth News and Wise Traditions. He won the 2013 Weston A. Price activist of the year award and is one of two old-timers and five rambunctious kids who farm and homestead on 35 acres in Kentucky.
128 pages, Paperback
Published September 24, 2019
19 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
John W. Moody
5 books1 followerJohn W. Moody is a farmer, homesteader, speaker, and author.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 26, 2024
It's an alternative medicine strategy to use some form of elderberry (dried, juiced, syrup, tincture, frozen, jellied, BUT not raw) to boost immunity, reduce inflammation, and get some powerful nutrients.
One year we harvested elderberries by the side of a public road and made a tincture with vodka. After that experiment we were a solid neutral: we really couldn't see an improvement in our health, but neither did we see ill effects. And my mantra about alt med is: If it can't hurt and it may help, let's give it a try.
This book had an abundance of information and instruction. The fruit which is called a berry is actually a drupe and the clusters are called cymes.
Moody references Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Little Elder-Tree Mother. I am eager to read it.
One year we harvested elderberries by the side of a public road and made a tincture with vodka. After that experiment we were a solid neutral: we really couldn't see an improvement in our health, but neither did we see ill effects. And my mantra about alt med is: If it can't hurt and it may help, let's give it a try.
This book had an abundance of information and instruction. The fruit which is called a berry is actually a drupe and the clusters are called cymes.
Moody references Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Little Elder-Tree Mother. I am eager to read it.
August 1, 2019
I received this book as an ARC from New Society Publishers - Ingram Publisher Services in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
I am not familiar with Elderberries and thanks to this book I know what they are and what is needed to be done to prepare them. Foraging is a new topic trending at our library and a lot of the photos displayed in this book look like a lot of the planted berries that we see in the fields all the time. Now that I am familiar with not only what they look like but with their nutritional value. It might be something I could forage and create a recipe out of. I know a lot of our patrons and community members will have their curiosity peaked as well.
We will consider adding this title to our Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
I am not familiar with Elderberries and thanks to this book I know what they are and what is needed to be done to prepare them. Foraging is a new topic trending at our library and a lot of the photos displayed in this book look like a lot of the planted berries that we see in the fields all the time. Now that I am familiar with not only what they look like but with their nutritional value. It might be something I could forage and create a recipe out of. I know a lot of our patrons and community members will have their curiosity peaked as well.
We will consider adding this title to our Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
October 29, 2021
I bought this book a year after hearing the author present at a conference. It's a great beginner's guide, covering the elder's history, how to grow it, how to eat and preserve it, and how to craft with it. Each of those sections gives enough info to take action, but doesn't dive deep into any ine topic.
April 13, 2021
So much history and wisdom, paired with practical applications... this was a treat. Growing elder from cuttings this spring!!
March 6, 2022
Entertaining, instructive overview. Some good pictures
July 18, 2025
Planted an elder this summer and now I know everything I can do with it. Great little book
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews