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grace in this valley
A JOURNEY OF HOPE & HEALING
Homemade Elderberry Syrup
A Natural Way To Boost Your Immune System
I started using elderberry syrup when my son was only a few years old during cold and flu season. It has since become one of my go-to remedies for my children during the cooler months here in Minnesota. The dried berries of the Sambucus nigra plant are naturally high in immune-boosting compounds that help with colds and flu. They have been used for centuries to promote good health because they are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Elderberries can be used to make a variety of remedies, but my favorite is still elderberry syrup. I know it got a bad wrap during the beginning stages of the pandemic (even though it is fine to use for most people, clinical herbalists have attested to this fact), but rest assured it is one of the easiest home remedies to have on hand to boost your immune system!
Health Benefits of Elderberry Syrup
If anyone in your family has ever had a rough case of the common cold or flu, you will know how miserable it can be - especially when it hits our kids! Thankfully, nature provides us with remedies that can help us avoid these minor illnesses or at least shorten the duration if we do get sick. Research has also found this to be true with black elderberries! In fact, elderberry syrup has been shown to prevent against 10 strains of influenza! To put that in perspective, the flu vaccine is designed to protect against just a few strains. This homemade elderberry syrup is powerful and yet it tastes so good even kids will love it! Who wouldn't want to avoid getting sick or at least help speed up recovery time if someone in your family does come down with a cold or the flu. Elderberries can:
- boost the immune system
- fight and protect against bacterial infections
- fight and protect against viral infections
- reduce the symptoms and duration of a cold or the flu
- help clear sinus infections
- has natural diuretic effects and promotes bowel movements
- has antimicrobial effects
- anti-inflammatory properties
- anti-carcinogenic properties
- ease symptoms of allergies
- high in antioxidants
- high in vitamin A, B and C
How to Make Homemade Elderberry Syrup
I used to buy elderberry syrup from our local health food store, but then I realized how easy it was to make at home and that it was also significantly cheaper! Since becoming ill, my husband has taken over the task of making elderberry syrup for our family during the winter months. If you don't feel like making it yourself, you can always buy it online or at a health foods store. It is also available in capsule, gummies or tincture form. My recipe uses homemade elderberry concentrate blended with complimenting herbs like ginger and cinnamon. It also includes raw honey for an extra immune boost! This syrup is very easy to make and worth the effort for the money you will save!
I always use the basics of the recipe below, but change it slightly depending on what ingredients we currently have in our kitchen. I will sometimes use dried cinnamon rather than a cinnamon stick and instead of using dried ginger and whole cloves, I use ginger and clove essential oils or even just thieves essential oil. I store our elderberry syrup in a regular mouth pint size mason jar in our fridge and if stored correctly, it lasts around two months.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 2/3 cup dried elderberries or 1 1/3 cups fresh/frozen elderberries
- 2 TBSP grated ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup raw honey
*We purchase organic dried elderberries from Frontier Co-op, which you can also buy on Amazon.
Instructions
- In a medium to large pot, bring the elderberries, water, cinnamon, cloves and ginger to a boil.
- Uncover and reduce heat to a simmer for around 30 to 45 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Remove from heat and allow the liquid to cool.
- Mash the berries carefully using the back of a wooden spoon or flat utensil.
- Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a mason jar or bowl.
- Discard the elderberries - I do not recommend using them again.
- Once the liquid has cooled, add the cup of honey and mix well.
- Pour into a mason jar or 16 ounce glass bottle with a lid.
- Store in the fridge and take daily for immune boosting properties!
How to Take Elderberry Syrup
Add your homemade elderberry syrup to hot and cold beverages, smoothies, pour on top of oatmeal or pancakes. Mix into salads and salad dressings or just take straight from the spoon like our family does! Homemade elderberry syrup doesn’t become as thick as the store bought version because it uses less sugar and no preservatives or thickeners, so don’t be alarmed if your syrup has more of a liquid consistency.
I personally only take elderberry syrup a couple times a week as I found my body handles it best this way because I am so sensitive. My husband will take 1 TBSP daily and when my kids were younger they would take around 1/2 to 1 tsp during the week and take a break on the weekends. They now take 1 tsp daily with breaks every few weeks. If my kids do come down with something, I give them around 4 teaspoons a day until they are feeling better. Adjust these dosages to whatever you feel comfortable with for yourself and your family.
I don't want to pretend that taking elderberry syrup (or any other supplement) will make my kids never get sick. BUT why wouldn't I want to have them regularly consume a product that has a host of benefits for their bodies and also tastes really good? Would love to hear if your family uses elderberry syrup and if you make your own at home or if you try my recipe for the first time!
Amy<3
Grace in this Valley
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