I love fall! The cooler breeze, the colorful leaves, the beginning of hunting season – all bring joy to my nature-loving heart. The thing I don’t like…. Flu season… or any illness that rears it’s ugly head every fall/winter. So for the last several years, I have made it a habit to make some homemade elderberry syrup each fall to help kick the crud with this immunity boosting berry. *Please note I am not a licensed doctor/dietician…. Just a Mama with some experience.
Thankfully, by God’s good design, elderberries are actually ready to harvest right about the time my kids get their first seasonal cold. For my climate, that is between September and October. I like to pick the berries at their peak ripeness. If I don’t have time to immediately process them, I will just throw them into a freezer until I can. They will keep in a freezer safe bag for about a year. This is also great for saving some extra berries for another batch for those end-of-the-season colds and bugs in March or April.
How to Make Elderberry Syrup
Gather the following ingredients/supplies:
- 6 cups of fresh/frozen elderberries
- 6 cups of water
- 2 tbs raw ginger root
- 2 tbs whole cloves (or 1 tbs of ground cloves)
- 4 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tbs of ground cinnamon)
- 1 cup of raw honey (don’t skimp here… use the good stuff! Raw local honey is best)
- cheesecloth/wire mesh strainer
Step 1: Add water, berries (stems removed), cinnamon, cloves, and grated ginger root to a large pot. Bring to a boil.
Step 2: Once it begins to boil, turn heat to medium/low to simmer for about 2 hours or until liquid is reduced to about half. **Do not heat honey – it will kill some of the good nutrients that you are trying to consume.
Step 3: Once liquid is reduced to about half, remove from heat and let cool until about 100-120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4: Line a strainer with cheesecloth and place on top of a bowl for elderberry liquid to drain into.
Step 5: Poor the pot of liquid and elderberries over the cheesecloth-lined strainer. Use a stain-resistant utensil to squish berries down. *If using cinnamon sticks, I like to remove them by hand now. Wrap up the cheesecloth and twist the ends tightly together. Continue squeezing and squishing as much of that miracle berry juice out as possible until no more liquid is dispersed.
Step 6: While the liquid is still warm but not too hot, add the honey and stir until dissolved.
Step 7: Store in a airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months, or freezer up to 1 year. I prefer a good-ole-fashion mason jar.
Step 8: For dosage, we take 1 tbs twice a day for ages 12+ And 1 tsp twice a day for 11 and younger. Do not give to children under 1 due to honey exposure. I do not recommend taking this when pregnant or breastfeeding – ask your midwife or family doctor for their professional opinion.
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Cheers,
Tawny
