Elderberry question, sambucol no alcohol

[hostalady]

I was just reading the book The Healing Power of Echinacea & Goldenseal by Paul Bergner. He states "The beneficial constituents of black elder are not soluble in alcohol, so use the tea or the juice rather than the tincture. A syrup of the juice-the same one used in the Israeli clinical trial- is available in health food stores as Sambucol.
So my question to anyone is how do you use dried elderberries in distilled water? How long does it have to sit to pull out the "good stuff" and should it be refrigerated while trying to pull the medicine out? Can you use vegetable glycerin at the time you are letting it sit? Reading the ingredients
on the Sambucol box it states Glucose syrup, ( I assume it means Vegetable Glycerin) Raspberry extract (berry) (I just ordered dry ones to make an extract with., honey, citric acid (just ordered it). My question is how do we know that the alcohol isn't destroying the properties as we are trying to extract them.
I have a few books by Rosemary Gladstar and she states different herbs need a different amount of alcohol. Some use 100% vs. 80% alcohol.

So how do we all know that the elderberry tincture is going to work, if what he wrote is true, no alcohol. Hope someone can help me.
Thanks

 

[juco]

Hostalady, I asked a similar question here.

The response was definately berries and vodka. Since some of these ladies have been making and using tinctures for years, I'm going to take their word and go with the alcohol based tincture.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Hostalady,

I reposted your question on this thread:

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1581981#post1581981

I'm curious too as to what the experts on our board think (and luckily we have a few!)

As I said on that thread, Sambucol does have not alchohol listed in their ingredients. Maybe they agree with the authors above (?)

HD

 

[hostalady]

Thanks for reposting it

It is really bothering me about the alcohol to draw out the medicine. I have learned that it makes a big difference on what you use. I guess I am going to make a batch of elderberry without the booze. I will try one with glycerine and one with local natural honey as well.

My understanding is that different methods produce different results, depending upon what you are trying to "draw out" of the plant material.

Distilled water would: COLD EXTRACT
Preparation with cold water will effectively preserve the most volatile ingredients and extract only minor amounts of mineral salts and bitter principles. Add about double the amount of plant material used for an infusion to cold water in an enameled or nonmetallic pot. Let the mixture stand for 8 to 12 hours, strain, and the drink is ready. Directions for taking are the same as for infusions.

The question is what are we trying to draw out of the elderberry?

Again, thanks for reposting it.

 

[Kathy in WV]

When in doubt, trust the people who actually use the stuff in question!!!! I was taught by goatlady and others on here to use the alcohol method of extraction. It works. The minute the vodka hits the berries it starts soaking all the goodies out. Having used the tincture a lot over the last 2 years, I'm a believer. But the point really is that you will only be convinced that something works AFTER you have tried it yourself, So try it both ways and see what you think!! I wouldn't knowingly waste time and money doing this if I wasn't convinced it was the only practical way. Hope this helps... I know how it feels to be worried and looking for answers! I'm not one of the experts on here but I'm trying hard to learn as much as possible and I have learned a lot. The herbalists on here are excellent sources of info! Kathy

 

[goatlady2]

I don't THINK alcohol has to be listed on the Sambocol labels as it is the process used, not added after the process is completed as an ingredient. Just like mayonaise does not list all the ingredients as the basic formula was preapproved and on file with the government. Same with tinctures - basic standarized extraction process does not list the ingredients used as they are the process. The standardized herbal preps now available do not list the chemicals used to extract the active ingredients, but one can sure smell them in the bottles. Even peanut butter does not have to list every chemical used in the process of making peanut butter i.e. the washing, cooking, drying processes before making the butter.

 

[hostalady]

To Goatlady

Thank you for explaining this. I am much more comfortable now to use and make it this way.