If
you are interested in adding elderberry to your diet for its immune
system boosting properties, a teaspoon of elderberry syrup per day
is a conservative recommended daily
serving. ... If you are fighting
cold and flu symptoms, a conservative recommendation is to take up to 4 teaspoons per day until symptoms subside. I
usually use 2 teaspoons in the morning and 2 more in the evening.
Elderberry
Syrup Recipe
This elderberry syrup is thought to be a natural
remedy for cold and flu symptoms. When taken within 48 hours of symptoms, it's
been shown to reduce the duration of symptoms by up to 4 days. I like to
sweeten it with honey, which is rich in antioxidants and has been shown to help
suppress coughing in children.
1/2 c dried elderberries (2.5oz of dried)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon turmeric (optional)
1/2 cup honey, maple syrup, stevia syrup or date sugar
Combine the elderberries, water, turmeric and ginger
in a small saucepan over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the
heat and allow the mixture to simmer until the water has been reduced by half,
about 45 minutes.
While boiling/reducing start preparing clean bowl with
fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth over colander. When syrup has reduced by
half; pour carefully into bowl. Use the back of a spoon to press on the berries
in the strainer, to extract all of the juice, then discard the pulp left in the
strainer.
Let the elderberry juice cool to room temperature, so
that the heat doesn't harm the nutrients in the honey, then stir in the honey.
Use a whisk to incorporate it smoothly, then transfer the syrup into a sealed
glass jar that you can store in the fridge.
Your syrup should keep well for at least two weeks
when stored in the fridge, so if you don't think you'll use it all before then,
feel free to freeze it until you're ready to use more.
Notes:
- If you choose to omit the sweetener, you’ll just be left with elderberry juice, which will spoil much more quickly in the fridge. You can freeze it in ice cube trays, however, for longer shelf life.
