From Hive to Hedgerow: Building a Truly Potent Elderberry Syrup with Russell Carter

Send us Fan Mail Most elderberry syrups start with water. Ours starts with a farm. We sit down with Russell Carter of Heartland Elderberry Farms to unpack how a beekeeping family scaled from 50 shrubs to tens of thousands of plants—and why using fresh, fast-frozen elderberry juice changes everything from flavor to potency. If you’ve ever wondered why some syrups taste thin or overly sweet, the answer often hides in plain sight on the label: water first, dehydrated imports behind it, and heat ...