[DIY] Elderberry Syrup

'Tis the season for the entire household to go down in flames as coughs & colds hit everyone. And when you have a family of 6, no one has time or energy for that. So, I love that you can hop on Amazon, order up your ingredients for DIY Elderberry Syrup, and get the juices flowing in the kitchen.

Also, my "inner circle" includes many people that share the same interests in homeopathic remedies and solutions to keeping ourselves healthy and giving a boost to the immune system, so love that we can share our favorites!

Speaking of inner circle and favorites, my friend Courtney, of Discovery Wellness Center, shared her recipe for DIY Elderberry Syrup, which is awesome to keep the immune system up.

Not familiar with Elderberry? That's ok, I wasn't for many years, and saw it pop up more and more. So, as one would do, I researched it (I'm selective on my sites, so I be sure they align with cold, hard facts). Check out the 8 Benefits of Elderberry, on Dr. Axe's website.

The idea behind Elderberry, is to use it before the immune gets hit with a bug, but we can't always know when that happens. So, roll it into your nutrient in-take 5 x's a week. But, even if you start using it after a bug hits, it can only benefit and help nip it sooner.

Be sure to visit Courtney's website: www.discoverywellnesscenter.com, for more Immune Boosting tips. She's a fellow Mom and her husband, is our family Chiropractor. We love our weekly visits, as it keeps any bugs we do get, short lived.

Here's the recipe and ingredients that Courtney shared with me:

Ingredients

 

• ⅔ cup dried black elderberries (about 3 ounces)
• 3½ cups of water
• 2 Tablespoons fresh or dried ginger root (I used organic dried ginger)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ½ teaspoon cloves or clove powder
• 1 cup raw honey (local is best)

 

Instructions

 

• Pour water into medium saucepan and add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves (do not add honey!)
• Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. At that point, remove from heat and let cool enough to be handled. Mash the berries carefully using a spoon or other flat utensil. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.
• Pause for a moment, and smell the amazing aroma of this concoction. Smells like the holidays.
• Ok, let's keep going. Discard the elderberries (or compost them!) and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add 1 cup of honey* and stir well.
• When honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into a pint sized mason jar or 16 ounce glass bottle of some kind.
• Store in the fridge and take daily for its immune boosting properties. Some sources recommend taking only during the week and not on the weekends to boost immunity.

You just achieved the DIY Elderberry syrup badge (pretend there is such a thing)!

Recommended servings:

Standard dose is ½ tsp to 1 tsp for kids (1 +) and ½ Tbsp to 1 Tbsp for adults. If the flu does strike, take the normal dose every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.

*With the raw honey I would recommend keeping this for 2 months max in the refrigerator. And avoid giving honey to kids under 1 yr. You can make a small batch, minus the honey, and place it aside, before adding honey to the main mixture.