Homemade Elderberry Syrup
A simple home remedy syrup made with dried elderberries, warming spices and raw honey. Perfect for keeping your family well through winter.
Essentially, you are gently simmering dried elderberries in filtered water with spices of choice, cooling, then adding honey.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dried elderberries (I get mine from Austral Herbs)
2 cups filtered water
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 star anise
2 cm knob of ginger, sliced
1/2 cup raw honey (organic or manuka) - this is to preserve the syrup.
STEPS
Bring water to a gentle boil. If adding spices, also include your choices e.g. cinnamon sticks, ginger etc.
Add the elderberries and simmer on the lowest heat possible for your stove, for 15 minutes. Smells amazing, very warm and cozy.
Remove from heat and allow to completely cool.
Mash the berries well with the back of a spoon to get as much juice out as possible. Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a sterilised jar, pressing firmly. Discard the solids.
Stir through honey.
Seal and refrigerate. It will keep for 4 to 6 weeks in the fridge.
DOSE
As a daily tonic through the cooler months:
Adults: 1 tablespoon a day
Children over 1 year: 1 teaspoon a day
At the first sign of a sniffle, take the same amount three to four times a day for a few days while symptoms hang around, then ease back to the daily dose.
A note on the little ones: because this syrup is made with raw honey, it isn't suitable for babies under 12 months. For toddlers and older children, the teaspoon dose above is a gentle place to start.
Give the jar a stir before each dose. You can take it straight off the spoon, or stir it into a little warm (not hot) water.
Every family is different, so if you'd like dosing tailored to your household, or you're managing something specific, come and have a chat with me one on one.
NOTES
The spices are entirely up to you. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, star anise and ginger all add their own therapeutic value alongside flavour, but elderberries on their own work beautifully too. Manuka honey is a lovely choice here if you have it. To extend shelf life to around 3 months, stir in 2 tablespoons of brandy along with the honey once the syrup has cooled. For families with young children or those avoiding alcohol, simply skip the brandy and make smaller batches.