Elderberry Syrup making dayyyyyyyyyy!
I just made a big batch of elderberry syrup, and we take 1 tbsp (1tsp for G) every few hours when we are not feeling ourselves, AND we take it every few days just as a general rule. Especially this time of the year when everyone else basically has the plague. 😬😬
So, what’s the deal with elderberries? Elderberries are rich in vitamins A, B and C and are a traditional cold and flu remedy used for hundreds of years. They are known to have high antioxidant activity and the bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice of the berry destroy the ability of a cold or flu virus to infect a cell.
I added essential oils to add a extra dose of amazing to our elderberry syrup.
* Thieves Vitality – This is a seriously amazing blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata and rosemary. I’m just going out on a limb here and saying, this is powerful.
* Nutmeg Vitality – Besides tasting and smelling freaking awesome, this oil is GOOD STUFF.
* Clove Vitality – This is crazy high in antioxidants!
* Ginger Vitality – Part of keeping the immune system in tip-top shape is keeping digestion optimal. Over 90% of the immune system resides in the gut, so using ginger, with it’s ability to stimulate and regulate digestion, only seems natural.
* Cinnamon Bark Vitality – Another oil already found in the Thieves blend, cinnamon bark is a powerful support to the immune system.
* Frankincense Vitality – One of the gifts given to Jesus by the Three Wise Men, frankincense has been used for centuries. You should google Frankincense oil. Just do it. For real.
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This is the recipe I used - it was SO freaking easy!
2/3 cup dried black elderberries (about 3 ounces)
3 1/2 cups of water
YL Vitality Essential oils (cinnamon bark, nutmeg, ginger, frankincense, clove, orange)
1 cup local raw honey (we get it from our farmer's market)
Pour water into medium saucepan and add elderberries (do not add honey or EOs)
Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. At that point, remove from heat and let cool enough to be handled. Mash the berries carefully using a spoon or other flat utensil. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.
Discard the elderberries (or compost them!) and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add 1 cup of honey, and a drop of each essential oil and stir well. (I add extra orange to mine ❤️)
When honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into a quart sized mason jar or 16 ounce glass bottle of some kind.
Here is where to grab your organic elderberries and where to grab your Weck juice jars.
happy healthy home making my friends! ✌🏻
Also, lazy mama hack: when you run out of strawberry jelly for your kiddos yogurt, throw a teaspoon of elderberry syrup in there and mix it up! He LOVED it, and it's an amazing support to the immune system.