Recipe and information updated! Click Here!
My eldest son came down with a cold. We had a bit of elderberry syrup in the fridge from a couple of months ago - but I knew he was going to deplete that jar. So.......... it's time to make more!
Elderberries are very good for the immune system. They are particularly good at fighting influenza - in fact, some studies show that taking elderberry syrup is better than vaccines at preventing the flu! It can be used both as a defensive measure against respiratory illness as well as an offensive treatment.
I don't mind taking it straight, but the rest of my household prefers to mix it in a bit of orange juice. Once the weather starts to cool down, I will take it daily! Here's the recipe (you don't need the echinacea if you are using it as a preventative):
2 cups filtered water
1/2 cup dried elderberries
1 Tb grated fresh ginger (optional)
1 TB dried echinacea (optional)
cinammon stick
1 cup honey
Bring all the ingredients to a boil except the honey. Let it simmer on the stove (warning: it doesn't have a great smell while it's cooking) for about 40 minutes or until the liquid reduces to about half.
Strain the liquid and mix in the honey until dissolved. Keeps in the fridge for a month or two.
As a preventive, I just take a spoonful a day. As a treatment, we take a spoonful several times a day!
If you plan on making this for flu season, it's best to get the elderberries now because in the fall, many of the herb stores will sell out of them!