Elderberry Syrup
A wonderful simple mix of elderberries, honey, and herbs for an immune-enhancing and tasty syrup!
Ingredients
- 4 cups Water
- 1 1/2- 2 cups Dried organic black elderberries
- 1-2 Tbs Freshly grated organic ginger-root or 2-3 tsp dried organic ginger
- 1/2 tsp Ground organic cloves
- 1 tsp Ground organic cinnamon or 1 organic cinnamon stick
- 1 cup Raw local honey
Instructions
- Pour water in a medium pan and add the elderberries, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Bring to a boil and then cover (with lid slightly ajar) and reduce heat to a simmer for about 1 hour. The liquid should be reduced by almost half.
- Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
- Carefully, pour through a strainer and mash berries using a spoon to extract all the juice. OR use a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, to strain out the mixture.
- Pour through a strainer or cheesecloth again- into a glass jar. Discard the elderberries.
- When the liquid is lukewarm, add honey and stir well. NOTE: If giving to a baby under 1-2 years old- leave out the honey.
- Store in the fridge and take daily for immune-boosting properties.
Notes
- For preventative measures, you can take 1 Tablespoon for adults and 1 teaspoon for kids- once a day, taking breaks on the weekends so your body does not become immune.
- To treat or fight off a cold or flu, you can take 1-2 Tablespoons several times throughout the day… and you really do need to take it every 2-3 hours to be effective. For kids, I give them about 1-2 teaspoons throughout the day.
- NOTE: For babies under 1, you can make a small batch without the honey in it (honey is added at the end of the processes anyways- so easy to omit). This will make the elderberry juice not last as long, because honey is a natural preservative - but just freeze ½ of it if you want.