Elderberry Syrup

Sometimes things just come together in a way that seems, "meant to be".  That is how I felt this year when for the first time we were able to pick elderberries before the birds ate them all AND harvest honey from our bee hives after four years of trying without success.

Four flavors of elderberry syrup.

Having both elderberries and honey created the opportunity for me to make an elixir using ingredients from our back yard (in addition to a few purchased spices) that has been scientifically proven to prevent or shorten the duration of colds and flu by disrupting the ability of viruses to replicate. Check out this study. 

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Elderberries are rich in flavonoids which are beneficial substances found in bright and dark colored fruits, vegetables, and plants. According to the The George Mateljan Foundation benefits of flavonoids include;

• Antibiotic Activity - flavonoids can disrupt the function of viruses and bacterias.

• Inflammation Control - Inflammation is a condition present in almost all chronic diseases and flavonoids help to reduce the inflammation response.

• Support Vitamin C absorption - flavonoids have a synergistic relationship with Vitamin C making it more effective.  (Two of the recipes below include rose hips which are high in Vitamin C.)

• Antioxidant properties - flavonoids protect cell structures from damage.

 Additional information about elderberries can be found here.

The antimicrobial qualities of honey help keep bacteria, viruses and fungal infections in check.  The ginger, cloves, rose hips, cacao and other spices add their own medicinal value to the syrup.

To prevent colds and flu the recommended dose for adults in 1 to 2 tablespoons daily.  Children over two years of age can take 1 to 2 teaspoons per day.  Since elderberries are both food and medicine you don't need to be overly concerned that you will consume too much. 

Please note that children under 2 years of age should not consume honey. 

Elderberry syrup can be very simple, just cooked juice mixed in equal parts with honey.  Or you can get creative and add other nourishing herbs to the mix for an added medicinal boost and flavor variety.

I have been collecting elderberry syrup recipes for several years and could not decide which one to make, so I made four.  It has been fun to line up the family, hand them spoons, pour in a bit of syrup, and ask them to guess the ingredients.  

Each of the recipes I will share has a unique flavor and I find them all delicious.

• Warming Winter Blend has the spicy flavor of ginger and is infused with cinnamon and cloves. 

• Double Elder Berry Syrup tastes like a fruity elderflower cordial.  

• Herb Spiced Syrup blends herbs used primarily for culinary purposes to create an unusual combination of flavors.  

• Cacao Elderberry syrup is a bitter sweet fruity chocolate concoction that makes a lovely dessert topping.

The recipes below call for elderberry juice.  If you have access to fresh elderberries check out my post Elderberry Juice to discover an easy way to juice the berries.  If you need to purchase dried elderberries, you can make juice by following these steps; 

• Boil 1 cup of dried berries in 2 cups of filtered water for 20 minutes
• Mash the berries when they are soft
• Strain the mixture to remove the seeds and skins using a jelly bag or cheese cloth

This season's rose hips join ginger, nutmeg, and oregano in the ingredient list.

Warming Winter Blend

2 C elderberry juice (or 1 cup dried berries cooked in 2 cups filtered water and strained)

2 TBS grated fresh ginger root

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1 C raw local honey

Add ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to elderberry juice and simmer on low for about 45 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1 cup.  Remove from heat.

Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves simmering in elderberry juice.

Strain using a jelly bag or cheese cloth when cool enough to handle.  Then compost spices.

Nylon jelly bag works well for straining.

Allow juice to cool to room temperature and then stir in honey.  (If honey is exposed to high heat its beneficial enzymes can be destroyed.)

Pour into bottles and refrigerate.

                                   

Double Elder Berry Syrup

2 C elderberry juice or (1 cup dried berries cooked in 2 cups filtered water and strained)
2 TBS grated ginger
1 tsp whole cloves
1/2 C dried elderflowers
1 C honey

Elderflowers harvested in early summer and dried.

Add ginger and cloves to elderberry juice and simmer for 45 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup.  Remove from heat.

Elderflowers ready to be stirred in and infused.

Stir in elderflowers and cover pot.  Allow to infuse for 30 minutes.  Strain using a jelly bag or cheese cloth. 

Using a 2 cup glass Pyrex measure cup makes pouring the finished syrup into a bottle easier.

When juice has cooled to room temperature, stir in the honey.  Pour into a bottle and refrigerate.

Herb Spiced Elderberry Syrup

2 C elderberry juice or (1 cup dried berries cooked in 2 cups filtered water and strained)
1/4 C  dried rose hips
1 C unsweetened cherry juice
1/2 oz dried herbs such as rosemary, oregano, thyme, or sage
1 1/2 C honey

Oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme.

Pour elderberry and cherry juice in a pan.

Add rose hips and simmer for 30 minutes, mashing the rose hips as they soften. Remove from heat.  You should have roughly 1 1/2 cup liquid remaining.  If more than 1 1/2 cup remains, simmer a bit longer to reduce the liquid.

Rose hips harvested in late fall simmering in juice.

Stir in dried herbs, cover pot and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  

Stir in herbs and allow to infuse.

Strain using a jelly bag or cheese cloth.  When juice has cooled to room temperature, stir in the honey.  Pour into bottle and refrigerate.

Cacao Elderberry Syrup

2 C elderberry juice or (1 cup dried berries cooked in 2 cups filtered water and strained)
1/2 cup dried rose hips
2 TBS cacao powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 C honey

Add rose hips to elderberry juice and simmer 30 minutes, mashing rose hips as they soften.  Liquid should reduce to about 1 cup.

Allow to cool, strain out rose hips using a jelly bag or cheese cloth.

Whisk in cacao powder and cinnamon.

Whisk in the cacao and cinnamon until it is fully incorporated.

When cooled to room temperature, add 1 C honey.  Bottle and refrigerate.

Rich thick Cacao Elderberry Syrup is a treat.

Tips;

• Elderberry syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

• These recipes concentrate the elderberry juice.  If you have more than the recipe indicates after straining you can cook it a bit longer to reduce it.  If you have less than needed you can add filtered water until the liquid reaches the exact measurement.

• You can make elderberry juice in the summer when the berries are ripe and freeze the juice for fall and winter use.

• If freezer space is limited elderberries can be dried and stored out of the sunlight in an air tight glass jar.

• Colored olive oil bottles are free and a great way to store your finished syrup.

Please note: The objective of this blog is to raise awareness of alternative ways to achieve wellness and to empower you to take an active role in your health decisions.  To accomplish this, you will need to explore these subjects in greater depth and then determine what makes sense for your life.  My hope is that this information will inspire you to start your own search into ways to make your life happier, healthier and more fulfilling.