Making Your Own Elderberry Syrup to Prevent Flu and Colds
You may have heard about the health benefits of elderberry syrup in building your immune system on the news and other sources. It can be used over pancakes or taken each day to help your immune system during these colder months. You can purchase elderberry kits or just make your own. Here is an easy way to make your own. Our family usually doubles the recipe so we do not have to make it as often.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried black elderberries
3-1/2 Cups water
2 TBSP Dried Ginger Root (you can also use fresh if you would like)
1-1/2 TSP Cinnamon Powder
1/2 TSP Whole Cloves
1/2 TSP Ground Turmeric (you can also use fresh)
1 Cup Raw Honey (Getting it locally from a farmer will help you during allergy season)
16 ounce Mason Jar
Magic Bullet, Blender, or something similar
Instructions:
1. Pour water into a saucepan with elderberries, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and turmeric
2. Bring water to a boil and then reduce it to simmer and cover it for 45 minutes to an hour, letting the healing herbs release all of their delicious nutrients.
3. Place ingredients in a magic bullet, blender or something similar for a short time.
4. Pour through a strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl.
5. Once the liquid has mostly cooled add the honey (you waited until now to add the honey to preserve the nutrients that you get from eating raw honey).
6. Place into a mason jar
Recommended Dosage:
1 tsp for kids (1 and older)
1 TBSP for adults
If you feel your body getting sick, take every 3 hours or so until you are feeling well again.
Sometimes it is good to give your body a break from taking it every day, which also helps boost your immune system. Unless your body is fighting something, take one to two days off a week from taking it. Otherwise, hopefully your health will be good and your body strong during these cooler months. This, along with a healthy diet should help a lot.
How to Store:
In refrigerator.
Our children all absolutely love taking this and love hearing about how good it is for them. It has a little bit of a spicy taste from the cinnamon and clove, but, they love it!
