Day 32: Oxymel

The children were mucking about the campsite and Elliott and another almost 2 year old were spotted with some pretty fierce looking berries. There was a moment of panic, but after confirming that none had been eaten we were led to the source – an elderberry tree laden with perfectly ripe specimens. Not to be eaten raw, elderberries are full of vitamins A B and C, and are delicious when cooked. We picked a bucketful straight away and made a batch of Oxymel – a magical medicine made of honey and apple cider vinegar with your medicinal herb of choice. In this case, we boiled it up with the berries and were rewarded with a delicious (if you like vinegar) black-purple syrup. It’s perfect for taking by the spoonful, or drinking hot or with sparkling water.