What is elderberry syrup & what is it good for? Elderberries are a plant that has natural medicinal components. I'm all about natural remedies, but more than that, I'm interested in increased wellness & prevention. Don't we all want to skip the doctors office & dealing with insurance companies?! This syrup does both of those things. Elderberries:
-are high in vitamins A, B, & C (higher in C than most oranges)
-are high in quercitin (an antioxidant)
-improve & prevent major colds
-are high in anti-viral properties to improve & prevent influenza (the flu)
-improve sinus infections
-improve allergies
-reduce inflammation
-enhance sleep (due to the tart cherry juice)
-enhance sleep (due to the tart cherry juice)
-a natural diuretic
-improve chronic fatigue
This syrup is an awesome promoter of wellness and prevention, as well as, tastes great (reminds me of gingerbread), and is easy & affordable. As a personal note, and I hope I don't jinx anything by saying this, but I have never received the flu shot, and I also have not had the flu in over 2 decades.......soooooooo there's that ;-)
Ingredients:
2/3 cup dried elderberries- here is what I get
3 1/2 cups water
1 tbs fresh ginger root, grated
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1 cup raw, unfiltered, honey- here is what I get
Want to know how I make this into gummie bears?! Check it out here!
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients, except honey, in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boiling honey can decrease the medicinal properties within the honey so you'll want to wait to add this ingredient.
2. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 45 min-1 hour, until the liquid has decreased by half, and then remove from the heat.
3. When the liquid is cool enough to handle, pour through a strainer into a glass bowl. Allow all of the liquid to squish through the strainer, & then discard the chunks still in the strainer.
4. When the strained liquid is lukewarm, stir in the honey and mix well. Pour into the glass bottle you will store the syrup in. Because this recipe makes about a quart (4 cups) of syrup, I use a quart-sized mason jar. This will last in the fridge for several months.
For storing & serving: keep this syrup in the fridge. You can put it on pancakes, in your tea, in homemade gummie bears, or just by the spoonful. We take this daily, after breakfast 1/2 tsp-1 tsp for kids and 1/2 tbs-1 tbs for adults. Do not give this to children under than age of 1 because of the honey in the syrup. I would only take this once a day, but if you come down with something, I would take the regular dosage but every 2-3 hours until symptoms disappear. As with anything you should always consult your doc (especially if you have an autoimmune disease) because I am not YOUR doctor.
