HOW TO MAKE QUICK & EASY ELDERBERRY SYRUP

What is Elderberry Syrup?

Elderberry syrup is an immune boosting syrup made from cooking the berries of the European elder tree down and mixing in honey.

Why do you need it?

Elder berries and honey are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that may boost your immune system. Taking elderberry syrup within the first 48 hours of noticing a cold or flu coming on, may shorten and reduces the symptoms.

Go to PubMed to read more about the benefits of elderberry syrup.

How often and how much should you take?

According to Web MD, adults should take 1 tablespoon by mouth four times a day for 3-5 days. Children should take one tablespoon twice a day for three days.

Is it safe?

Yes, as long as you cook the berries. Eating elderberries raw might cause nausea, vomiting, or severe diarrhea. Always cook your elderberries down to a syrup before taking internally.

How do you make it?

1. Heat 4 cups of water in a saucepan on the stove.
2. When the water starts to boil, add 1 cup of fresh or dried organic elderberries.
3. Let this simmer for about an hour. The liquid should reduce by half. Stir occasionally.
4. When the mixture has reduced by half, remove it from the heat and let cool to lukewarm.
5. When cool, strain the elderberries through a mesh strainer into a mixing bowl. You may want to do this a couple of times to be sure there aren’t any berries left.
6. After straining, whisk in 1 cup of raw organic honey. If you can find local honey, that’s even better. You want the elderberry juice to cool before adding the honey. Heating honey will make it lose its antiviral and antibacterial properties.
7. Use a funnel to pour your syrup into a bottle or jar.
8. I keep my syrup in these cute glass bottles. One batch will fill about two bottles with a little left over. I usually make a double batch.
9. Store your syrup in the refrigerator for up to six months. Make sure to keep a tight fitting lid on it. You can also freeze it if you’d like. Some people like to pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze.

My elderberry bushes produced a huge amount of berries this year. I dried mine in a food dehydrator to save for later in the year. I dried my berries in clusters still attached to tiny bits of stem. This prevented the berries from falling through the dehydrator and also makes removing them a lot easier. It did take a good 12 hours for them to get completely dry.