RECIPES
Elderberry Syrup
It is that winter time of the year again – snuggling up at home with a much sought-after, self-made elderberry syrup.
Before we get to our simple syrup recipes, let’s have a look at the health benefits of elderberry.
Elderberry syrup health benefits:
All our tea syrup recipes, not just the efficacious elderberry one, are immune boosting, energy generating, tummy soothing and generally all around delicious. The healthy syrups can be used medicinally or in smoothies, on homemade pancakes, ice cream and even porridge.
When flu season is hitting hard in the cold months, the immune-boosting properties of our elderberry syrup can be the right remedy.
Elderberries are:
- naturally high in vitamin A, C and antioxidants
- anti-inflammatory
- antiviral (ideal for treating early cold and flu symptoms)
The effect on the treatment of influenza was tested in a randomised study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15080016
The conclusion was that elderberry extract seems to offer an efficient symptom release. However, a larger study would need to confirm these findings.
Due to the sweetness and soothing nature of the syrup, it is often used in combination with cough medicine.
Simple elderberry syrup recipe:
What you will need:
- 2/3 cup of Ruby Rose & Elderberry Tea (further suggestions below)
- 3.5 cups (ca. 840ml) of filtered water
- 1 cup of raw organic honey
Preparation time: 5 min – Cooking time: 1 hour
Step-by-step instructions:
- Pour water into medium saucepan and add Ruby Rose & Elderberry Tea.
- 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 down before handling. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.
- Discard the remains of the herbal tea and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add 1 measuring cup of honey and stir well.
- When honey is well mixed into the mixture, pour the homemade syrup into a 500ml glass bottle of some kind (see tip below).
- Store in the fridge and take daily for its medicinal properties or enjoy a desired.
Elderberry syrup storage:
Store your homemade elderberry syrup in the fridge. How long you can keep it there really depends… our rule of thumb is two weeks.
Here’s a helpful trick: Fill the syrup in a mason jar while it is still warm. This helps create an air-tight seal, keeping it fresh for longer.
Daily dosage of elderberry syrup:
Standard medicinal dose is 0.5 to 1 teaspoon for kids and 1 to 3 teaspoons for adults.
All in all, this homemade syrup recipe should not be treated as medicine, but rather as a delicious tasting nectar of the gods that brings endless possibilities with it.
In general you should moderate yourself and first see how the herbs affect you. Please check with your health care professional in case of concerns or questions.
Further suggestions on suitable blends for making healing syrups:
• Energy Tea – For stamina and endurance, adaptogenic and stress relieving properties.
• Digestive Tea – To soothe and heal gastric conditions, with anti inflammatory and demulcent properties.
• Turkish Delight Tea – Blood sugar balancing and great for toning mucus membranes, drying up little runny noses and balancing hormones.
In general making a healthy syrup works well with any tea that is naturally sweet. The recipe is done in the exact same way.