There didn’t seem much I could do to prevent the germs from invading our family. There are the usual things like washing your hands, avoiding the germ factories, disinfecting all the things! However, that just didn’t seem enough.

Then I came across this amazing stuff called elderberry syrup. All over the natural living world parents were singing the praises of elderberry syrup and I needed more tools in my anti-sickness arsenal so I gave it a try.

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Elderberry syrup is now the saving grace for my family during cold season! If we get sick, it’s surely because it’s the one time I forgot to give everyone their elderberry syrup!

What is elderberry syrup and what are its benefits?

Well, it’s not so much a syrup as a juice in many instances. It’s just not all that thick… But that’s not the point.

Elderberry syrup is made from elderberries (naturally) and it’s been shown to be effective against up to ten strains of that nasty three letter word we won’t even utter. What’s more, elderberry syrup also helps you recover if you do happen to get sick!

It’s a preventative and a remedy!

Plus it helps for colds too…Like I said, it’s amazing stuff!

You can buy premade elderberry syrup to boost your kids’ immune system naturally, but it will cost you an arm and a leg. I prefer to make my own because then it only costs me about $2 for 8 oz bottle of elderberry syrup! It’s also incredibly easy to make your own… like making tea kind of easy!

How to use homemade elderberry syrup after making it

Preventative:

• 1 Tbs/daily for adults.
• 1 tsp/daily for kids over 1 year.

Natural Remedy:

• 1 Tbs/2-3 hours for adults.
• 1 tsp/2-3 hours for kids over 1 year.

-Remember honey is not safe for children under 1 year.-

Ingredients and directions to make DIY Sambucus

1/2 cup dried elderberries
3 cups water
1/2 cup honey

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.
Add in black elderberries, reduce to a simmer, and cook 30-45 minutes.

The liquid will reduce to about half.
Allow syrup to cool, strain*, and add in honey.
Mix well.

Store elderberry syrup in the refrigerator (keeps for 2-3 months)

Instant Pot Black Elderberry Syrup

• 3 Cups of water
• 1 Cup of Dried elderberries
• 1 1/2 inched of cubed ginger root
• 1 sliced lemon
• 1/2 cup raw Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 cup raw honey

In your instant pot, combine everything but the ACV and honey. Set on manual/high pressure for 20 minutes.

Combine honey and apple cider vinegar and let sit while the berries are cooking. Once done, let the berries cool. Run through a food mill and strain into the honey mixture.

Put into a jar and keep in the fridge!

How to make elderberry in an instant coffee maker

(This recipe below is not from our guest author, but from Kara Carrero’s kitchen! We have edited to add it).

• 1 tbs dried elderberries
• small piece of ginger

(Place both of these in your filter)

• 1 tbs of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 cup of water

Brew the vinegar and water mixture in your coffee pot. After the first brew, squish the elderberries. Either pour a bit more ACV over the top or brew again.

Pull out the ginger and place it in the cup of brewed elderberry to sit while you prepare a jar for storage. Put in a half cup of honey and then pour a warm brew over the top. Mix.

You now have less concentrated version, but still very powerful elderberry drink to help fight viruses!

Tools for making Elderberry Syrup Easier

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We use each of the following items to help us. The food mill gets used first, then what’s left gets filtered through a strainer. Finally, we use a specially designed funnel to get it in each jar.

• Food Mill
• Berry Strainer
• Mason Jar Funnel

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A mother to five kids, Brittany Thomas began her journey of living naturally because she wanted the best for her kids. She blogs at The Pistachio Project in order to share what she learns with others. When she is not blogging, you can find Brittany washing cloth diapers, whipping up yet another batch of sunbutter, or drinking her fourth cup of tea.

 

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