Homemade Elderberry Syrup For Immune Support

Elderberries are simply excellent for supporting the immune system. They are rich in Vitamin C , anthocyanins, antioxidants, polyphenols and other beneficial bioactive components. They are highly anti-inflammatory and have antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Our  dried elderberries are quite easy to drink as a tea: simply steep a spoon of the elderberries in hot water, add a dollop of honey to sweeten (or leave out if you don’t mind the taste), and sip. 

However a syrup is more versatile as it tastes better and you can enjoy it over your morning oats, drizzled over pancakes, in smoothies, as a mixer for drinks, and also get the kids to take it with less fuss!

Here is how to make it:

Elderberry Syrup Immune Booster

Makes approximately 3 cups of syrup

2 cups  dried elderberries

4 cups filtered, distilled or boiled and cooled water (don’t use plain tap water)

1 cinnamon stick, or a few cinnamon pieces

2 teaspoons  ginger powder

1 cup  honey

Sterilised  storage jar

Add the water, elderberries, cinnamon and ginger to a sauce pan and simmer gently without a lid for 30 to 40 minutes. The water will start to evaporate, leaving you with a berry reduction. Allow this to steep and cool down, then strain out all the solid bits. Stir in the honey and store in the fridge in a sealed jar for up to 2 months.

Usage

Adults: 1 tablespoon daily

Children over 2 years old: 1 teaspoon daily

Tips

In general you want to have a ratio of 1 to 4, herbs to water, by weight. So if you have 50g of herbs, then you want 200g water. 

Feel free to experiment and add other herbs and spices if you wish. Cardamom,  vanilla powder,  other dried berries, etc are all lovely additions. You could also add in  apple cider vinegar or extra  ascorbic acid or other vitamins and immune supporters if you wish.

Try the same recipe above but substitute the elderberries for  schisandra berries,  juniper berries, or any other dried berries. Each one has different benefits but most berries contain immune supporting components, vitamins and anthocyanins.