After connecting on social media and realizing that we have a shared passion for the herb, elderberry, I was recently asked by Norm's Farms if I'd be interested in giving two of their product lines a try: the Natural Jams & Jellies and the Health & Wellness lines. Having used several other elderberry syrup brands (a staple in my house during cold-and-flu season), I was more than enthusiastic about the opportunity to see how Norm's Farms' products stacked up. Norm's cultivates all of its elderberries in the US, unlike many of its competitors, and I was especially curious to see how the American-grown elderberry fared in comparison.
Health & Wellness Product Line
Given my previous experience using elderberry extract and syrup, I was eager to try the Health & Wellness line first. Norm's offers a liquid extract of elderberry as well as a wellness syrup. The purist in me was ecstatic about the Elderberry Extract. The only ingredients in this product besides elderberry are water and a small amount of malic acid. Two tablespoons boasts a respectable 23 g of elderberry, a dosage on par with the other brands I have used. In the absence of ingredients such as glycerin, which is used in competitor brands, the consistency of Norm's Elderberry Extract is 100% liquid -- not thick or gooey! -- and its taste, though slightly tart, is refreshing, pure and 100% natural. I am completely sold on this product and will be stocking up for the fall and winter!
Norm's other elderberry wellness product, Elderberry Wellness Syrup, has a milder taste than the pure extract, attributable to the addition of honey, cinnamon and cloves to the ingredients. I didn't read the label before trying this syrup for the first time but it only took a nanosecond for my taste buds to detect the addition of the aromatic herbs and honey, leading the chartered herbalist in me to instantly become excited about the ingenuity of this powerful formula! Honey is considered by many to be an herbal antibiotic and is also known to help soothe a nagging cough. Cinnamon is also said to have medicinal properties and was used in medieval times to help treat coughing and sore throats. Cloves are a powerful aromatic herb that may help allay nausea and vomiting. Combined with elderberry, these herbs really do, in my opinion, make for a veritable wellness syrup - i.e., the product lives up to its name! And like the elderberry liquid extract, the Wellness Syrup has minimal additives, although it should be noted that the formula does contain some added sugar as well as xanthan gum and malic acid. For children, however, the syrup might be the better product to administer simply because kids will likely prefer the sweeter taste. The dose of elderberry per two tablespoons is roughly half of what is found in the liquid extract (11 g vs. 23 g) but is still a respectable dose, especially given the other herbs that are added to enhance the overall formula.
Jams & Jellies Line:
The first product I tried - mostly because it was unlike anything else I had ever had - was the Elderberry Ginger Pecan Jam. If you like the warm taste and aroma of ginger, this jam is for you! It is absolutely delicious and the nutty pecan pieces add character that is not found in most jams on the market. Although it would taste great any time of year, I think this jam would be perfect for a fall or winter morning, and with 9 g of sugar per tablespoon, it's on par with if not a little less than the sugar content found in other jams. What sets it apart from other jams, however, is the unique blend of ingredients, including American-grown elderberries enhanced with ginger and pecans, as well as a GMO-free pectin mix (sucrose, pectin, citric acid).
Next in my sampling was the Blueberry Elderberry Preserves. I am a huge lover of blueberries and was curious to see how they tasted in combination with elderberries. The blend is sweet and smooth and the texture made it it easy to spread on bread or toast. Norm's explains on their site that they added North Carolina blueberries "to craft a healthy treat with tons of whole fruit, but less sugar." One tablespoon has 8 g of sugar, less than most preserves, and just 35 calories. It's also made with a GMO-free pectin mix, which scored extra points with me since I am a big advocate of all things GMO-free.
My final samples were the Elderberry Jam and the Elderberry Jelly. Made with whole fruit and no seeds, the jam has a taste similar to the Blueberry Elderberry Preserves except that it is a bit more tart. Its consistency is like the preserves and it is equally easy to spread. Like the Ginger Pecan Jam, it has 9 grams of sugar per serving. The jelly is - like most jellies - more jiggly and wiggly than the jam but not so loose that it is difficult to spread and use. It is sweeter in taste than the other samples I tried and it doesn't have the hint of tartness that I noticed in the jam.
OVERALL....I am sold on Norm's products!!! read more
