Summary
In Europe, you can drink elderberry brandy and even elderflower-flavored Fanta. According to Michael Howard's book Traditional Folk Remedies, eastern Europeans gave the elder tree a sacred status, believing it could keep witches at bay. Anyone who had to destroy one first recited a prayer to the tree's spirit, known as the Elder Mother. A similar tradition in Denmark inspired Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Elder-Tree Mother," which details a cold-stricken boy's voyage to healing in "the warm countries" through the magic of his mother's hot elder tea.
As his company's name indicates, Hardies main business is bees, but bees need plants to pollinate, and crops such as elderberries fit the bill. He relates the growth of his apiary in slow cadences that recall the soothing tones of an undertaker but warm up, as he grows comfortable with his interlocutor, to something like a patient paternal figure. Founded 43 years ago, Honey Gardens grew from a hobby to a business when [Todd Hardie] began to sell raw honey as a homegrown health aid. Health nuts who embraced raw foods in general touted Pooh Bears favorite as a cure-all, and Hardie is its number-one proponent. "You can use raw honey on wounds," he says. "More and more people and hospitals are using raw honey." As long as it's kept below 120 degrees Fahrenheit - unlike the processed, filtered product in most stores - honey is a natural antiseptic. "It takes the air out of the wounds and brings to it a wealth of healing properties," Hardie says.As Hardie and his 19-year-old daughter Charlotte lead a reporter through the family's own small orchard, bees stay on his mind. He winks at the photographer, saying, "I know why you can appreciate bees - 'cause you're so sweet." He isn't above a Jerry Seinfeld-esque pun, pointing out that in the synergy of elder-plant pollination and honey. farming, "We just let them 'bee' natural. I know it sounds canned," he protests, when the wordplay draws a grimace, "but it just comes out."See the full content of this document
Extract
Pollinate This
When the thickets burst with summer fruit, we fill our fridges with raspberries and blackberries, but fresh elderberries are hard to find in markets. Maybe it's because it takes a basketful of the small, inky things to yield, say, a respectable batch of elderberry pancakes. Or maybe it's because some varieties of the fruit are toxic before they ripen.
In Europe, you can drink elderberry brandy and even elder...See the full content of this document
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