Howdy! You probably realize by now that all of our handcrafted, all-natural products are made with health and wellness in mind. This includes our Elderberry & Strawberry Superfood Preserves, so I wanted to write an article filled with facts and clinical research to explain the benefits of each ingredient in our preserves and to explain why it is superior to traditional jams and jellies.

Our preserves pack a mean nutritious punch for such a sweet treat. They are sweetened with middle TN honey, and contain chia seeds, elderberries, strawberries, and citric acid. We enjoy them on toast or a buttermilk biscuit (we are Southern after all), on a PB & J, or as part of a charcuterie tray.

Let’s start with the most unique ingredient found in our preserves, chia seeds.

Chia Seed Benefits

Our superfood preserve recipe replaces commonly used fruit pectin with nutrient dense chia seeds as a thickening agent.

An important food consumed by the Mayans and Aztecs, these tiny black seeds, derived from the plant Salvia Hispanica (related to mint), provide protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. They are a “complete protein – meaning that they have all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot make.” [1]

A recent article published by the National Institute of Public Health states, “the nutritional value of chia is the reason why it is used in prophylaxis of several non-infectious diseases such as obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer and diabetes.”[2]

You see why we choose chia over fruit pectin? Let’s move on to the fruit we use!

Elderberry Benefits

By now, you probably know we love all things elderberry, so naturally they are an ingredient in our superfood preserves.

The European elderberry, Sambicus Nigra, offers the most medicinal properties of the elderberry species, and it’s the only one we source here at Harbin Hollow!

Elderberry-based supplements are believed to work by supplying the body with antioxidants and boosting its natural immune response.[3] One recent study concluded “supplementation with elderberry was found to substantially reduce upper respiratory symptoms,” [4] and another states it “is promising as an inexpensive and low‐risk treatment for influenza and other viral and non‐viral pathogens – and potentially as a preventative for acute viral infections.” [5]

Sounds like the perfect ingredient to sneak in your jelly, right?

Strawberry Benefits

Next up, the strawberry! Strawberries are one of the most popular berries. Harbin Hollow is located in Portland, a small rural city in Tennessee, most famous for our strawberry crop and the Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival. We loved the idea of combining a little bit of Portland with our love of elderberries, so our Elderberry and Strawberry Superfood Preserves were born.

“A plethora of studies have examined the benefits of strawberry consumption, such as prevention of inflammation disorders and oxidative stress, reduction of obesity related disorders and heart disease risk, and protection against various types of cancer.”[6] Strawberries are a rich source of a wide variety of nutritive compounds such as, vitamins, and minerals, as well as non-nutritive, bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, anthocyanins and phenolic acids. “All of these compounds exert a synergistic and cumulative effect on human health promotion and in disease prevention.”[7]

Who knew strawberries were all that and more? Let’s move on to how we sweeten our preserves.

Honey Benefits

When we started making elderberry products, finding a local, trusted, inspected honey farm to supply us was extremely important. Unfortunately, many commercial brands of honey you find on grocery store shelves have been adulterated with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or antibiotics, and have been heated to high temperatures killing the majority of the benefits found in honey. Our honey is only sourced from Pick TN honey farmsinspected and permitted by the TN Department of Agriculture.

Honey contains antioxidant vitamins E and C as well as minerals and have prebiotic oligosaccharides that help to feed gut flora.[8] Honey does still react in the body similarly to sugar, so if you are a diabetic, use in moderation and monitor your blood sugar levels when consuming. However, honey is a natural sweetener, has a complex composition, and compared to sugar, has a lower glycemic index and energetic value.[9]

One tablespoon of our Superfood Preserves only contains 6 grams of sugar, compared to double that in most brands of jams and jellies. It really is guilt-free, and we love supporting our local honey farmers!

Citric Acid Benefits

The final ingredient in our preserves is citric acid. We use it to balance the pH of the product and as a preservative to insure it is shelf stable and safe for consumption. It is a natural food acidity regulator, an antimicrobial agent, and has antioxidant properties. Citric acid is derived from the acid found in citrus fruits.[10]

Analysis and Manufacturing Safety

 All of our products have been sent to the lab at the University of Tennessee Food Science Department for analysis and I (Michele Harbin) am a graduate of the Better Process Control School, a certification course that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as well as the United States of Agriculture for processors of acidified and low acid canned foods.[11] Each product is manufactured in the FDA inspected, Pick TN Facility, Farm & Food, in Nashville, TN. Farm & Food is a Nashville based company that serves all of Tennessee as well as our seven neighboring states.  Farm & Food Spices is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business operating in Nashville, Tennessee. [12]

BAM!

So, there you have it! The superiority that is Harbin Hollow Superfood Preserves has been outlined, identified, and explained. Email us if you have additional questions at harbinhollow@gmail.com. 

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Ship Elderberry & Superfood Preserves to Me!

Order online here: Harbin Hollow Elderberry & Strawberry Superfood Preserves

Find Elderberry & Superfood Preserves Near Me!

Purchase in store at these retailers:

TENNESSEE

Bloomin' Deals- Portland, TN

Bryant's Country Store- Greenbrier, TN

Cafe 31- White House, TN

Cassie's Vendor Boutique- Cross Plains, TN 

Dashwood Nashville-  Nashville, TN

The Herbal Heart- Nashville, TN

Hendersonville Produce- Hendersonville, TN

Herban Market- Franklin, TN

Hill Family Farm- White House, TN

Howard's Vitamin Store- Gallatin, TN

Orbit Health Food Store- Goodlettsville, TN and Mt. Juliet, TN

Pied Piper Herbs- Portland, TN

ALABAMA

Barefoot Fit Jess at Centre, AL

Healthy in Bama- Jacksonville, AL

KENTUCKY

Habegger's Variety Store- Scottsville, KY 

About the Author:

Michele Harbin is a certified nutrition coach whose focused turned to creating natural health solutions when she was unhappy with products on the store shelves. She is the owner of Harbin Hollow where they handcraft, all-natural products with health and wellness in mind. She loves to inspire others and found that offering real, tangible solutions like handcrafted elderberry syrup, superfood preserves, and local bee pollen gives folks the tools they need to heal from the inside out. She is a wife to television producer Ron Harbin and mother to Lylah Jane (6 years) and Cooper Jennings (2 years). A free spirit with an entrepreneur’s drive, Michele never sits still, loves to travel, has a passion for revamping traditional recipes for healthier versions, is a true Southern girl, and will literally talk your ear off. 

[1]https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-chia-its-not-just-a-pet/

[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/28646829/

[3]https://health.clevelandclinic.org/elderberry-a-natural-way-to-boost-immunity-during-cold-and-flu-season/

[4]https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2018.12.004

[5]https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ptr.5782/

[6]https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00857

[7]https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2015/FO/C5FO00147A#!divAbstract

[8]https://health.clevelandclinic.org/5-best-and-worst-sweeteners-your-dietitians-picks/

[9]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5817209/#!po=0.657895

[10]https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Citric-acid

[11]http://foodscience.tennessee.edu/betterprocesscontrolschool/

[12]http://farmandfoodspices.com/about-us/