Have you heard of elderberry syrup before? In this time of crisis in the world, more and more people are searching for ways to boost their immune system to keep them healthy to fight off the virus or seasonal cold and flu. One way that we are helping keep our immune system functioning at its most optimal potential is eating healthy balanced meals, drinking Echinacea tea, getting plenty of vitamin C though fresh fruits and vegetables, and taking a daily dosage of our homemade elderberry echinacea syrup.
In the last few years, I have started to study herbal medicine and am working towards a more holistic approach towards our health. There are many reasons I have chosen this path, but the main reason is that it looks at all aspects of our health, our diet, lifestyle, stress, and our sleeping habits. By looking at the whole picture of our health, mental, physical, and emotional, we can achieve optimal health by finding a proper balance in life. A holistic approach looks to find the root cause of a symptom and not just trying to fix each symptom. Where as, in conventional medicine, symptoms are often just covered up for a quick fix.
I have recently done a lot of research on the benefits of making Elderberry syrup. I have heard a lot about it, I always see some at the farmers market, and wanted to learn more about it. I also have read a lot about Echinacea, and have first hand experienced what it could do to help shorten the length of a cold. With our current pandemic, I decided to make our own Elderberry Echinacea Syrup to take as a preventative and keep our immune system functioning at the best it can be.
The Background of Elderberry
Elderberry and elder flower is known around the world by its botanical name Sambucus Nigra. It has played an important role in health and well-being in communities throughout history. In Old World Tradition, it is said that the elder bush was planted on the edge of the herb garden as a “protector” of the garden. It has been used by many herbalist, for centuries in both Europe and North America for its medicinal properties. It’s medicinal uses have even been found to reach as far back as Ancient Egypt. Throughout history, the elderberry is known for treating over 70 different aliments.
Elderberry Benefits
Elderberry is the fruits that comes from the Elder bush. Their dark purple berries are know for their powerful antiviral properties. It is commonly used to help treat viral infections including the flu. The elderberry has a mild decongestant action and helps inhibit the spread of viral infections. Not only does it help strengthen your immune system, it is full of antioxidant and vitamins. It contains vitamin C and A, flavonoids, beta-carotene, iron, and potassium.
Please be aware of the warnings that do come with elderberries. Consuming elderberries raw or other parts of the plant, such as the stem or leaves, are mildly toxic. Berries should be boiled for a minimum of 3 minutes before preservation or dried. If eaten raw it can cause digestive upset and diarrhea in some people, as it is known for its laxative properties in its raw state.
The Background of Echinacea
Echinacea is native to North America and is often seen growing naturally. Native Americans in the midwest were some of the first people to recognize its medicinal benefits. The most common species is the Echinacea purpurea, this is often known as the purple cone flower. The Cheyenne used a tea of leaves and roots for sore throats and the Kiowa often chewed on the root and swallowed the juice for coughs and sore throats. In 1887, Echinacea was introduced to the American health profession and became widely used as an herbal medicine. With the growth of conventional medicine, Echinacea lost its popularity. Though it is slowly regaining its popularity, people still are not aware of all its medicinal properties.
Echinacea Medicinal Properties
Echinacea is one of the top immune-enhancing herbs today. Extensive research in Germany and Europe confirms that it helps raise the bodies natural resistance to infection by stimulating and aiding immune function. It inhibits hyaluronidase (an enzyme produced by bacteria that breaks down compounds that bind together) thus inhibiting the spread of infection. This helps the body fight viral infections. It is particularly effective against bronchial and respiratory infections and sore throat. It is rich in polysaccharides, which protect the cells against invasion by viruses and bacteria.
Ingredients and Supplies
2 cups Dried organic elderberries (these are currently in high demand) I have been able to find them in bulk at Mama Jeans in Springfield, Missouri. There are many sources online that you can find them in bulk.
1tbsp Grated ginger root
1/2 tsp Whole cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
1/4 cup Echinacea root (Again we found this at Mama Jeans but here is a link to an online source.)
10-12 oz Local honey (If you choose not to eat honey, you can replace with maple syrup. We found local honey in bulk at Mama Jeans.)
4 cups Water
Cheese cloth or nut milk bag
Airtight container for finished syrup (we use mason jars)
Yields about 20-22oz of syrup
Step 1:
In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups dried elderberries with 4 cups of water. Please not the height of liquid in the pan as you will need to simmer down by half.
Step 2:
Simmer on a medium-low heat, once it is at a simmer, add the rest of your herbs to the pot.
This includes:
1tbsp grated ginger root
1/2 tsp whole clove
1 cinnamon Stick
1/4 cup echinacea root
Step 3:
Continue to simmer down the liquid, slowly, until it is about half of its original volume. This took me about 30 minutes. Be sure to occasionally stir the mixture. You don’t want to rush this, because this is allowing the juice to become more concentrated.
Step 4:
Next, take it off of the heat and allow it to slightly cool. You will be straining the liquid and mixture and squeezing the juice from the berries. Once cool enough to handle, place a nut milk bag or a cheese cloth inside of a mesh strainer in a glass bowl. I ended up using a cheese cloth, though next time I think I will use a nut milk bag.
Pour some of the mixture into your cheese cloth and start by using the back of a spoon and slowly press the berries down to extract the juice from the berries. Smash the berries as much as you can to remove as much juice as possible. From here you want to carefully lift the cheese cloth and wrap the berries, creating a sack and squeeze the pulp to remove as much as you can. This will dye your hands, so wear gloves if you don’t want to have that happen. I did not think about it and well, my hands were slightly dyed for a few days. Once you have removed as much juice from the berries, compost the leftover pulp.
Continue to do this same process until you have juiced all of your berry mixture. I have found it easier to do it in smaller sections to get the most juice from the berries as possible.
Step 5:
Be sure to measure your juice. I ended up with about 12oz of juice. While it is slightly warm return it back to the pot but do not put it back on the heat. You now want to add an equal or almost equal amount of honey to the volume of juice. So in my case I added about 12oz of honey. At first I was so worried because it felt like a lot of honey, but it helps act as a preservation for the syrup, and local honey also has many great healing properties. Justin suffers from a lot of allergies so I am hoping that by using local honey it will help him with this as well.
Step 6:
Lastly you want to bottle your syrup in an airtight container. We use mason jars, but you can also use swing-top bottles. We reserve the swing-top style for our homemade kombucha (keep an eye out for that blog post coming soon). Elderberry syrup will usually keep in the refrigerator for about 12 weeks.
Dosage
We use elderberry syrup as a preventative, so we currently take 1 tsp twice daily. If you are in the
onset of an illness I would increase your dosage to 3-4 times daily.
Now enjoy good health! I would love to hear if you made this. Tag me on instagram or share with me in the comments!
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