At a fraction of the cost of store-bought varieties, this homemade elderberry syrup offers immunity-boosting black elderberries with cinnamon and ginger for flavor. Raw honey adds natural preservative benefits.
Before adding raw honey, allow the liquid to cool completely (if added when still warm, this could compromise its probiotic/preventative qualities). Use this syrup for preventative health or during illness: children should receive between one and two teaspoons daily while adults can take up to one tablespoon a day.
1. As a topping for pancakes or waffles
Elderberry syrup makes an irresistibly tasty topping for pancakes, waffles and ice cream! Additionally, it can also be mixed with sparkling water or lemonade to create an invigorating beverage, and even added into barbecue sauce or ketchup!
This recipe is great for children over the age of 1, but due to the presence of honey it should only be made available as part of an educational experience.
Making elderberry syrup yourself is so much cheaper than purchasing store-bought. This easy recipe yields 40 ounces, enough for months worth of use compared to 4 ounces you can purchase in bottles at local natural food stores – that’s an enormous savings!
For this syrup recipe you’ll need fresh or dried elderberries, raw honey, and some time. To prepare the elderberries you must rinse and separate any bad or moldy ones by running them through a sieve or strainer, as well as thoroughly washing them to rid any insects that may be hiding on them; submerging in hot water usually works wonders!
Once your elderberries are clean, put them into a pot with just enough water to cover and allow to simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Feel free to add cinnamon sticks or whole cloves for flavor or health benefits; I personally like using slices of fresh ginger which has anti-inflammatory benefits as well as being deliciously refreshing – I also add pieces of echinacea root as additional immune system support!
After just a few minutes, your syrup should be ready to remove from the heat and pour into jars or bottles for storage – it should stay fresh in your fridge for around 12 weeks!
Homemade elderberry syrup is not only delicious, but an incredible immunity booster! Clinical trials have demonstrated its beneficial properties to promote a healthy immune response and ease colds and flu symptoms. Plus it’s packed full of antioxidants for maximum nourishment to the body!
2. As a dessert
Elderberry syrup can add an easy and tasty way to boost immunity with food! From pancakes and waffles, yogurt bowls, oatmeal or cocktails/mocktails – elderberry syrup makes an instantaneous healthy dessert option!
Homemade elderberry syrup can be made in just three simple steps. All that’s required are elderberries, water and sugar (or honey). If elderberries aren’t available nearby, black currants offer similar health benefits while typically costing less money.
Once the elderberries have been cooked down, strain them through a fine sieve or muslin cloth to release their juice and discard any herbs or debris that remains. After cooling, allow your liquid to settle. At that point, use it as is or add your desired amount of honey; adding raw honey not only sweetens up the syrup for children but it can provide extra immune-boosting properties as well.
If you plan on making this into medicine for an illness, during waking hours take 10ml every 2-3 hours while awake. Refrigerate after making and it should keep for 3 months; adding vodka or brandy as an additional preservative may even extend its shelf life further.
Add other herbs to your elderberry syrup while it simmers to customize its effects and customize its composition. Ginger and turmeric can help fight illness as they contain antiviral, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties as well as helping relieve nausea. Cloves also make an excellent antiviral treatment as well as being great at relieving sore throat discomfort. Finally, unpasteurized local honey provides additional antioxidants and beneficial enzymes into this recipe!
3. As a drink
Elderberry syrup can provide a healthy alternative for sweetening drinks during cold and flu season. Add it to tea, coffee or hot chocolate for a nutritious boost or use as a sweetener in fruit juices and smoothies; its vibrant color adds another splash of color when drizzled onto pancakes or waffles!
Elderberries have long been recognized for their ability to increase immunity and shorten the duration of colds and flu. High in Vitamin C and other essential antioxidants, elderberries contain tannins, amino acids, flavonoids, and other anti-oxidants – these include tannins, amino acids, flavonoids and more antioxidants than ever. This homemade syrup includes therapeutic doses of immune-enhancing spices including ginger, cinnamon and clove – each one providing anti-inflammatory relief, soothing sore throats and inducing sweating which releases toxins while loosening mucous layers; with ginger acting anti-inflammatory relief as an antiseptic against infections; cinnamon has antiseptic qualities while clove acts expectorantly helping cough up phlegm and relieve congestion – this recipe uses raw honey as its natural sweetener; alternatively any type of sugar or agave nectar could be substituted.
Make this delicious elderberry syrup part of your family’s winter immune-system defense system by drinking a spoonful at regular intervals during cold and flu season and keeping a jar in your medicine cabinet all year long!
To prepare elderberry syrup, combine elderberries and water in a pot or InstaPot and bring to a boil. After stirring for 10-15 minutes, mash some of the berries in order to release their juice, followed by simmering before straining through cheesecloth or undyed cotton muslin and finally passing it through a funnel overlaid with cheesecloth or cloth muslin for final straining.
Once cooled, stir in raw honey; however, if raw honey isn’t your cup of tea, feel free to use cane sugar or agave nectar instead (though this may compromise probiotic and preservative power). Seal your jars and store in the fridge for up to one month for use as sweetener in beverages or desserts or mixing into condiments like barbecue sauce or ketchup!
4. As a medicine
Black elderberries in syrup form are effective antivirals (they inhibit viral replication and prevent influenza virus from invading cells), antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulators; recent research suggests taking elderberry syrup can even shorten the duration of respiratory illnesses.
That is why many people keep homemade elderberry syrup in the refrigerator at all times, using it on pancakes, yogurt or in dessert recipes – knowing that this homemade recipe can help them feel better and stay healthier.
Make Your Own Elderberry Syrup With Raw Apple Cider Vinegar I recommend adding raw apple cider vinegar as this will both preserve and add medicinal properties to your syrup. Raw honey may be another good option, especially if harvested locally so as to provide more antioxidants, nutrients and enzymes than commercial varieties can.
For this recipe, I suggest including a small amount of ginger as an extra boost. Ginger can help combat colds and flu symptoms while helping alleviate nausea while supporting digestive health.
This recipe produces a medium strength batch of black elderberry syrup, suitable for adults and children over one. To store, place in an airtight glass jar in the fridge; it should last two months.
Though studies have demonstrated that taking elderberry syrup can shorten the length of a cold or flu, it should not be seen as a panacea. Good handwashing practices, limiting exposure to infectious people and getting adequate rest and maintaining a balanced diet remain important components in helping prevent infections from spreading further.
