Another amazing find

We continue to discover new and amazing things on our farm. We've been investigating the possibilities of growing blueberries since they are so healthy and our climate would, in theory, be perfect. When growing berries in a conducive environment, they are very easy to maintain. Very little work. Well, today, Martin pointed out two trees with all these beautiful blue-coloured berries. At first glance, they look like blueberries, but smaller. These trees are about 6 or 7 feet tall and berries abound. When Kevin and I popped them in our mouth for a taste, we both felt an itchy sensation in our throat. The berry tasted good, but there was a bit of a tingle. After a bit of research, Kevin learned that these are not blueberries, rather elderberries. Elderberries have many medicinal benefits: they are full of antioxidants, they lower bad cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health, and fight against coughs, colds and flu, bacterial and viral infections, etc. There are a whole lot of good in this little blue berry, but these berries must be cooked before they are eaten. Raw elderberries contain a chemical similar to cyanide, which might have been the cause of the itchy sensation we felt. So, Kevin and I are hoping we didn't ingest enough to seriously harm us (we're both feeling fine with no ill effects, so we're hopeful... if we're dead in the morning, please know we had a good life and we loved our family and friends). It's all very exciting if we prepare it properly. I'll have to look up some recipes.

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