Tucked in the back of Mimi’s Closet and More’s vendor village is an unassuming booth that carries a very unique product, Elderberry Syrup Brew Kits.
Bonnie Cotter, of Shawano, is the owner of Bonnie’s Naturals. She began selling her special handcrafted elderberry syrup brew kits recently in her booth at 105 N. Airport Road, Shawano.
“I always am being creative on how to help other people,” Cotter said.
With the brew kits, she said that she feels she is helping others to improve their immune systems.
Cotter makes it clear that no medical claims are made, but she still feels very strongly that elderberry syrup has many health benefits.
“I had a brainstorm,” she said. “And thought that I could offer these kits to other people.”
The brew kits offer customers a way to brew their own natural elderberry syrup at home.
Cotter said that making your own elderberry syrup saves money.
“It could be very expensive to buy in a retail location,” she said. “My price-point is $24.99, and it makes 24 ounces. You could add honey, but you don’t really have to, or maple syrup.”
A detailed step-by-step instruction card and recipes are included in the brew kits.
There are no preservatives in the elderberry syrup batch made with one of the kits. Cotter said that the finished product can be kept in the refrigerator for two weeks.
“But you can freeze whatever think you won’t use in that time,” she said. “It won’t go to waste, and the frozen portions will keep for eight to 10 months.”
Cotter noted that the dehydrated elderberries in the brew kits can be an excellent immune system booster. They are anti-inflammatory and may lower blood sugar and cholesterol, she said.
The other natural ingredients in the brew kits are seen to have health benefits.
Cinnamon, for example, may fight infections and viruses. Cinnamon has antioxidant, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties, but more research is needed to confirm these benefits before health care practitioners recommend cinnamon as a treatment, according to an article on WebMD.com.
Another ingredient in the brew kits is ginger. According to WebMD, ginger has been used as a remedy for nausea and indigestion for centuries and the folk remedy actually works for those purposes.
A vanilla bean, cloves and star anise are also included in the kits crafted by Cotter, making a very tasty syrup.
Cotter sources the ingredients from Amazon and Frontier Co-op, an online vendor of organic herbs and spices.
“My hours were cut at my full-time job, so I thought I’d give this a try,” Cotter said. “I’ve wanted a booth for a while, but with working, it was really hard.”
Cotter recently started a new job, but she makes a point to visit her booth once a week to bring new items for the Bonnie’s Treasures side, and to replenish the brew kits on the Bonnie’s Naturals side of the booth, she said.
On her Bonnie’s Treasure side, she sells Scentsy goods, which are fragrance items, including wax melts. Also available in her inventory are gently used and new household items. Cotter is still adding goods to her booth.
Cotter worked with Mimi’s Closet and More’s owner, Shelly Hansen, to set up a tasting event of elderberry syrup made with her brew kit, at the front of the store on Feb. 28.
“I’ll provide education and free samples,” Cotter said.
She said that she does a lot of advertising on her Facebook page, Bonnie’s Treasures. She also sells on Facebook Marketplace.
“I am definitely thinking about doing the Franklin farmers market (The FRESH Project Farmer’s Market in Franklin Park) this summer,” Cotter said. “I do not make medical claims. I’m not a doctor. This is basically a craft. I put together all of the ingredients that you would find in a retail syrup.”
Cotter said that people who don’t know about elderberry syrup should talk to their doctor about it, to make sure they can take it.
Bonnie Cotter shows off her unique elderberry syrup brew kits in her booth in the vendor village area of Mimi’s Closet and More Consignment store at 105 N. Airport Road. She makes no medical claims about elderberry syrup, although she strongly believes in its help relieving cold and flu symptoms. She says that it is anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant — one that might lower blood sugar. (Lynn Zaffrann)
