Rowan Berry
This is the season when rowan berries – also known as mountain ash or the “lemon of the North” – are ripe. Their name comes from their remarkably high vitamin C content.
The use of these bright orange-red berries as both food and medicine dates back to Celtic times, though this knowledge has nearly faded into obscurity today. Rowan berries remain one of nature’s best immune boosters — rich in vitamin C, they help the body stay strong and resilient throughout the cold months. In the past, they were even used to prevent scurvy, a severe vitamin C deficiency.
Sonnberghof Recipe: Rowan Berry Syrup
Ingredients:
½ kg rowan berries
1 L apple juice
300 g sugar
Wash two handfuls of berries and freeze them overnight — this reduces their natural bitterness. Next, cook the berries with the apple juice, a squeeze of lemon, a cinnamon stick, and, if you like, a few raspberries or other berries.
Simmer until the berries are soft and wrinkled. Strain through a fine cloth or sieve, then return the liquid to the pot with sugar and boil for another five minutes.
Pour the hot syrup into clean bottles. Stored in the fridge, it will keep for several months.
Elderberry
Elderberries have long been regarded as one of nature’s most powerful healing plants.
For thousands of years, elderflowers have been used to soothe coughs, colds, and fevers, while the dark berries help strengthen the immune system thanks to their anthocyanins — natural antioxidants that protect the body before illness strikes.
According to old Alpine folklore, when boiling elderberries in autumn, one should open a window to let the “Holler spirit” escape.
While this may sound superstitious today, there’s some truth to it — when heated, the berries release cyanogenic glycosides, which can cause mild dizziness or nausea if inhaled in concentrated form.
You can find our homemade elderflower syrup in the Sonnberghof online shop
Elderberry Jelly Recipe
¾ kg elderberries
½ L apple juice
Cook the berries and juice together, then strain through a sieve or food mill.
Measure ½ L of the juice, add ½ kg gelling sugar, and boil for four minutes.
Pour the hot jelly into clean jars and seal immediately.
Lingonberry
Lingonberries are another wonderful natural immune booster.
Although their vitamin C content is relatively low, they are rich in vitamin B2, and contain a compound called arbutin, which helps prevent bacteria from attaching to the bladder wall. A traditional home remedy for bladder irritation:
Mix a large spoonful of lingonberry jam with a cup of warm water and drink it several times a day.
Nature’s Wisdom
Nature offers countless ways to protect your health.
Sometimes, simply walking mindfully through the landscape — noticing the tiny details of leaves, blossoms, and fruit — can bring joy to the heart.
In their forms and patterns, you can sense a divine order.
Breathe in with gratitude, breathe out with peace — just like the rhythm of nature itself.
Breathe in life. Let go of what no longer serves you.
