HEALING ELDERBERRY SYRUP

For centuries, witchy grandmothers and mothers everywhere have been brewing up magical, purple healing concoctions with the berries and flowers of the Elder tree!

Often used to prevent and ease the annoying symptoms of a cold and flu, especially those in the upper respiratory area... And naturally... Nature designed them to resemble the alveoli of human lungs!

I mean... Look at these amazing look-a-like lung berries! Thank you Elder tree!

This wonderful healing plant is not only delicious but also rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that may enhance your immune system, reduce inflammation and protect your heart.

Their delightful taste makes them a special remedy for both children and adults.

Below is a simple recipe that you can use by itself or incorporate into other recipes to create elderberry gummies, popsicles, teas, refreshing mineral water drinks with apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger and lemon, delightful cocktails, desserts, and more.

Early prevention is always best... So enjoy this elixir by the spoonful anytime and particularly at the first sign of pesky symptoms.

Enjoy! :)

ELDERBERRY SYRUP RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups dried organic elderberries

4 cups cold water (distilled, purified, or filtered spring water works best)

1 cup raw, local honey

Optional suggestions:

2-3 tsp organic dried ginger root

1 organic cinnamon stick

1 whole star anise

¼ tsp whole cloves

Optional to increase shelf life

1 cup brandy

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine berries and herbs with cold water in pot and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and allow herbs to simmer for 40 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and let steep for around 3 hours.

4. Strain the berries and herbs with a doubled cheesecloth or undyed cotton muslin bag, over a funnel and sterilised glass jar, carefully squeezing out the liquid (Make sure the liquid is not hot for this process).

5. Discard used herbs in compost or in your garden.

6. Add honey now that the liquid has cooled and stir to incorporate.

7. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Option: If using brandy, add after the honey and stir until well combined.

SHELF LIFE: 

This recipe gives you roughly 3 cups of syrup that can last up to 3 months if you skip the alcohol (depending on how much honey you use!). If you add alcohol, you'll end up with 4 cups, and it'll keep for about 2 years.

Always check for mould or fermentation before use!

USAGE:

For health maintenance, enjoy 1 tablespoon per day of the alcohol free version.

For assistance in recovering from a cold or flu, enjoy 1 tablespoon 3-6 times per day.

MORE INFORMATION:

+CAUTION

Raw elderberries contain a cyanide-producing chemical, and consuming any that haven’t been thoroughly cooked may cause symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Always heat these berries!

+FRESH OR DRIED ELDERBERRIES

You can use fresh or dried elderberries. Dried is usually easier to find in store all year-round.

If you are using the fresh berries, use twice the amount of dried berries that this recipe recommends. Just make sure they are organic or spray free! :)

+ADDING OTHER HERBS

Be creative! You can add vanilla bean, cardamom, dried citrus peel. Work with flavours for health benefits. All those improvisations add extra goodness and the honey makes everything taste better!

+SHELF STABLE

Syrups that are shelf stable are able to sit out at room temperature for a longer period of time without spoiling, these require more sugar or alcohol, or a combination of the two.

This discourages the development of bacteria and mould.

Without alcohol this recipe should last around 3 months in the refrigerator, depending on the amount of honey added.

The berries need to be strained out and removed for better shelf life.

+FOR CHILDREN

To make this syrup more family-friendly, use no alcohol, keep it in the refrigerator and make smaller batches more regularly.

You can also double the honey in this recipe, to make it more shelf stable.

You may want to freeze this recipe for shelf life but also for popsicles - Just add a fresh juice like watermelon or orange.

+SAFE FOR BABIES

Honey is a wonderful natural preservative that tastes amazing but it is not recommended for children less than one year old.

This is because of a rare condition called infantile botulism, caused by a toxin that is from a bacteria that sometimes contaminates honey.

So if you’re planning to share your syrup with an infant under 1, it's best to be on the safe side and it is advised to substitute the honey with either sugar or maple syrup, and keep it in the refrigerator for a shorter life span.

You can also just make a fresh tea version of this and add it to a childs bottle or as a breast feeding mother consume lots of this medicine to go into your breastmilk naturally! :)

I would also leave out the spices for babies and some young children for taste.

+COOKING UTENSILS

Cooking with ceramic, glass, or other non-reactive pans. Pans with synthetic nonstick coatings release some nasty substances when heated and scratched, so avoid them when making syrup and for general cooking!

+WATER

There are minimal ingredients in this recipe, so quality matters! Your product is only as good as the ingredients you start with, and that includes water! The quality of water matters for everything, this should either be distilled, or it should be a good spring water or purified water, depending upon where you live and what you have access to.

+PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING

You can take this while pregnant or breastfeeding, you may just want to stick to the berries and ginger for this time. Some of the other herbs you may find too strong.

+ELDERBERRY SPECIES

The genus name for all elder trees and shrubs is Sambucus, which is frequently used in commercial Elderberry products. 

There are numerous species, but some common ones include:

Sambucus canadensis: Commonly referred to as the American elderberry, common elderberry, or Canadian elderberry. 

Sambucus nigra: Also known as the European black elder. 

Sambucus australasica: Known as the yellow elderberry or native elder. 

Healing kitchen medicine at its best!