With the cold weather approaching here in Iowa, I want to be ahead of the game for the seasonal illnesses that come along with it. I am a fairly natural person, but I’ll be the first to admit we aren’t good at sticking to a daily vitamin regimen. Between chasing a toddler around and feeding a growing 4-month-old what seems like around the clock, my health gets pushed to the side a bit.
Butttttt….. this year, I’m working on changing that! And, I’m also working on making more of our medicines from scratch. I’ve purchased elderberry in the past, and typically, it contains unnecessary ingredients such as fructose and natural flavors. I always ask myself why they have to take something good and add junk to it, I’ll never understand it. Personally, this recipe tastes much better than the store bought stuff and isn’t thick like cough syrup!
A few benefits of elderberry
👉🏻 Fights cold & flu
👉🏻 Lowers blood sugar
👉🏻 Eases allergies
👉🏻 Helps prevent cancer
👉🏻 Improves heart health
The links below are Amazon affiliate links. It does not cost you anymore to order from them, but it does give me a little extra income as a stay-at-home-mom. I will only share links of products I personally recommend that I have tested or used myself.
This recipe is super easy, and the taste is approved by my toddler AND husband, so that’s a win-win in my book.
Alright… let’s get down to it!
INGREDIENTS
Approximately 8 ounces of dried elderberries
3 whole cinnamon sticks (or 1 ½ tsp. dried cinnamon)
¼ grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp. of whole cloves
2 oranges, sliced
2 lemons, sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Add all of your ingredients to a large stockpot.
2. Cover with approximately 1 gallon (16 cups) of water and bring to a boil
3. Simmer for around 1-2 hours or until it has reduced slightly
4. After cooling for a bit (just until it’s warm), strain through a fine mesh strainer. I use a spatula to give the berries and extra push, making sure all of the good stuff gets through.
5. After straining, add in raw honey (preferably local if you have access) to taste. I added 1/4 cups for every 2 cups of juice.
And there you have it… homemade elderberry syrup! Super easy, right?
NOTES
I store ours in pint and quart mason jars in the fridge. It will last around 3 months, but if you’re taking it daily, it’ll be gone before then!
If you’re taking this as a preventative, the recommended dosage is ½-1 tsp for kids and ½-1 tbs for adults. If cold and flu symptoms strike, you can up your dosage to your discretion (it’s typically taken every 3-6 hours during sick window)
Please note that this recipe does contain honey, which is NOT safe for children under 1. You could eliminate honey, but it’s best to check with your practitioner before giving to a baby younger than 6 months.
Yasmine Zachmeyer // Little Iowa Farm 
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