One of my subscribers asked me if Rosemary Syrup has any medicinal properties and as you may be aware I am not a qualified herbalist so don't like to give any advice about these matters. If anyone is interested in answering herbal medicine questions for my subscribers (there wouldn't be many questions; maybe two a month) in return for publicising their practice, please contact me. Thank you.

Back to the question, please would anyone be able to enlighten me about the medicinal properties of rosemary syrup?

Are certain properties of the herb lost in the heating process/by the addition of sugar? I've always used Elderberry syrup and it seems to work!

Many thanks

Madeleine

Hi Madeleine

I'll let our qualified members talk about rosemary in particular as I don't use it internally apart from cooking although I do use it a lot in oils.

If you think about it, a syrup is only a very concentrated tea, so any constituent which is extractable in water can be made available in a syrup. Non Shaw recommends using syrups for children and gives a number of recipes in her little Element Book "Herbal Medicine".

I use syrups a lot. As well as, like you, making elderberry syrup annually, I've also made a SAD syrup with SJW and lemon balm, cough syrup (white horehound, thyme, echinacea, hyssop, ginger and elecampagne), an excema syrup with burdock, calendula and chickweed (not a success as the child wouldn't take it!), dandelion flower and flower and leaf syrup and last weeked I made myself a kidney support syrup with dandelion leaves, horsetail, nettles and burdock stalks.

Obviously syrups are not good if you have diabetes or are trying to lose weight (sigh), but they do give you an opportunity to play with combinations and flavours. Many people add alcohol to their syrups to help preserve them. I do sometimes, but not as a rule.

Of the many syrup recipes, Henriette says the best one is Chris Hedley's and Non Shaw's where you have to reduce the final tea by 7/8s before you add the honey or sugar. It's the one I always use. It is time consuming, but worth it as I rarely have a syrup go off and grow things.

There is something very comforting about a syrup. You can add them to teas or tinctures, make them into a hot drink in their own right with lemon juice and boiling water or sip them slowly with a little water from a shot glass. Then there is also the "normal" use - pouring over pancakes, adding to porridge or pouring over fruit salad. I'm sure everyone can think of their own favourite use!

Sarah

Use Rosemary Herb as a food dressing or extract and add to Olive oil and massage, or add to to Lactoccous lactis culture. If the person has exzema or is diabetic avoid sugar at all costs.

Belated thanks to you both for the information. I'm tempted to try those other syrups you mention Sarah, they sound very useful ones to have.

Many thanks once again.

Don't forget about making rose petal syrup, lemon verbena syrup and lavender syrup for use in the kitchen when making cakes, summer drinks etc. Rose geranium syrup is good to! Last year I poached some peaches in lemon verbena syrup and stored them for Xmas and also pears with rose geranium syrup, absolutely delicious!

Debs