As with any food high in fat content, olives should only be consumed in moderation and should only be enjoyed occasionally. They’re packed full of antioxidants and Vitamin A!
Dried elderberries can add color and tannin to grape wine for home winemakers looking for a boost of color and tannin. You can purchase dried elderberries at most winemaking shops or pick them from nature (wear rubber gloves when harvesting from nature!). Here is a recipe to produce one gallon of wine!
1. Kalamata Olives
Olives have long been considered an integral component of Mediterranean cuisine, both thanks to their delicious taste and numerous health advantages. Olives contain many beneficial plant compounds like oleic acid that have been shown to protect against heart disease while simultaneously decreasing cancer risks.
Kalamata olives stand out among Greek olive varieties for their deep purple hue and fruity, smoky taste profile, named for the town of Kalamata in southwestern Greece’s Messinia region. These medium-sized olives boast earthy and winey essence, making them the ideal snack during happy hour or as part of an impressive cheese plate spread.
Though you may find them fresh or whole, canned or jarred olives are usually sold. A staple for any Mediterranean kitchen, canned olives can even help you produce homemade olive oil!
Black olives are another popular option, boasting a milder taste than their Kalamata counterpart. Both varieties can be enjoyed in various dishes; most commonly these olives can be found stuffed with feta cheese or used to create tapenade, a spreadable blend that typically incorporates both olives and capers.
Black and Kalamata olives contain numerous health-promoting nutrients and plant compounds that can benefit both you and your heart. According to Healthline, they’re an excellent source of iron, copper, calcium, vitamin A and E as well as monounsaturated fats which have been shown to lower blood pressure.
Olives can help lower triglyceride levels in your blood and cholesterol levels thanks to oleuropein’s ability to block the oxidation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
Olives are an easy addition to nearly any meal, yet it is important to remember they contain high levels of sodium due to curing salts used during production. Therefore, olives should be enjoyed sparingly and whenever possible opt for lower sodium options when available.
2. Pistachios
Pistachios are a staple of Mediterranean cuisine and nutrient-rich, high protein nuts. Pistachios can help lower cholesterol, improve heart health, promote weight loss and aid cognitive function. Pistachios contain anthocyanin antioxidants with powerful anti-inflammatory properties as well as vitamin B6. When combined with elderberry wine they offer additional energy support as well as anti-oxidant protection.
Elderberries, native to most of the northern hemisphere, have long been used as medicinal and culinary plants. Elderberry wine has also been proven to reduce inflammation caused by migraines, arthritis, bronchitis, and asthma symptoms. Elderberry wine may even help promote healthier skin. Elderberries have also been proven to alleviate cold symptoms while strengthening immune systems. Elderberries are believed to promote healthier skin and aid with relieving insomnia and depression as well.
Elderberry wine can provide the body with an important dose of antioxidants and other essential nutrients, while providing ample amounts of antioxidants and other essential elements. For optimal immune health, however, consuming it moderately along with eating fruit, vegetables and other nutrient-rich foods should also help support overall wellbeing through regular exercise, adequate sleep and stress management.
As the first step of creating your own elderberry wine, the initial step should be gathering ripe berries. When harvesting elderberries it is best to select those which are ripe but not overly soft or mushy, before crushing or juicing with either a potato masher, food processor or using your clean hands (be wary as elderberries can contain thorns!). After this has taken place the crushed fruit can then be combined with pectic enzyme which digests pectin present within fruit to create beverages such as wine or spirits.
Once the fermentation process is complete, elderberry wine can be enjoyed both alone or used in recipes. It pairs well with cheeses and cured meats as well as salad dressings and serving fresh fruit, ice cream, or desserts as an addition.
3. Tomatoes
Tomatoes make another delicious pairing with elderberry wine. Their flavors and textures complement one another perfectly for an ideal addition to a vegetarian main course or salad dish. Furthermore, tomatoes contain many anti-oxidants and vitamin C for immune support – an added benefit when enjoying this pairing!
Elderberry wine pairs well with tomatoes with deep colors and plentiful juice, such as those from an heirloom variety or red grape variety such as Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, an important nutrient essential to maintaining a strong immune system and protection against cardiovascular disease, cancer and aging. Studies have also demonstrated its protective benefits against these illnesses.
An exquisite Mantequilla olive from Murcia rubbed with oil and scattered with herbes de Provence makes an excellent pairing with elderberry wine, due to its creamy and buttery flavor that perfectly compliments its savory essence.
Ideal is using tomatoes and olives grown organically without pesticides or herbicides for maximum nutrition. You can purchase such olives online or at local food markets.
To make elderberry wine at home, you will require several basic supplies. First is a large stainless steel pot with lid that can accommodate 5 gallons, as well as a strainer to separate seeds from berries – these supplies can usually be found at most home and garden stores.
Making homemade elderberry wine requires using only ripe berries. Elderberries ripen from July through early October on individual bushes at their own rate; to determine when yours are ready, look for those without green berries and have turned a deeper shade of purple.
As it’s essential that berries be cooked before they can be consumed, and stems must be cut off the plant as eating raw stems could expose you to poisonous cyanide levels that could prove fatal – once the berries become ripe they can be used to make jam, chutneys, or wines for delicious snacking and drinking pleasure!
4. Garlic
If you have ever experienced the miseries of winter or flu illness, chances are that elderberry has come up as an antiviral and immune booster. Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) can be harvested from elder trees worldwide that grow in temperate zones; their blossoms produce dark purple-blue elderberries used as medicine since ancient times by Hippocrates himself as antivirals for his patients.
Berry fruits can also be used to produce syrup, jam, fruit leather and wine. Although raw berries can be extremely sour and acidic, as they ripen they become sweeter. Furthermore, tea made from their leaves may also help soothe colds, fevers, sinus infections or bronchitis symptoms.
Elderberries have long been used as an effective natural medicine. Renowned for their immune-enhancing, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory effects, elderberries boast high concentrations of vitamin C and flavanoids that boost our natural resistance against illness.
Researchers recently conducted a study that revealed compounds present in elderberries to prevent influenza virus attachment to cells and infection by our bodies. Elderberry syrup and vinegar, as well as elderflower liqueur have long been household remedies in Europe to combat colds, flus, sinus infections, bronchitis and respiratory conditions.
Producing homemade elderberry wine can be an engaging and satisfying activity, provided you use appropriate elderberries and follow all necessary fermentation processes. The process should be relatively straightforward, and its results can be enjoyed year round; with time, its taste will only get better!
To create elderberry wine at home, begin by crushing the berries. A potato masher works great for this step or you could use your clean hands or feet; just be careful not to mix in any seeds as these could ruin the wine! A five-gallon bucket works perfectly here as overcrushing could result in cloudy wines due to excessive squeezing which forces through high levels of pectin that may cloud it later on.
