As you may already know, making your own homemade DIY elderberry syrup has a range of benefits. It’s tasty, easy to make, and a great natural remedy for the cold and flu season. Sure, the flu shot may be tempting, and it’s not without its perks, but there are natural, homemade solutions that can be both healthy and effective.
Before we get into how to make your own elderberry syrup recipe, here is a brief summary of what it is and how it works.
What elderberry is and how it helps
Not to be confused with elderflower, american elder, or dwarf elder, elderberry is a plant comprised of berries that are often used for things like medicine and food or drink flavoring. While we’re not physicians, and therefore cannot make any specific medical claims, elderberry has been known to assist in:
- Preventing or curbing flu symptoms
- Giving a boost to the immune system
- Easing sinus, back, and leg pain
- Working as a laxative for constipation
- Increasing urine flow
- Reducing cholesterol
- And more
Elderberries have been used as a natural remedy for hundreds of years throughout the world, and many of the medicinal benefits of the berries are being rediscovered and now re-examined. The juice from elderberries was even used to treat a 1995 flu epidemic in Panama.
According to one study, people sick with the flu whom consumed elderberry in some form reported less severe symptoms while feeling better much faster – making it one of the more effective natural solutions.
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A natural elderberry syrup recipe
This easy, DIY recipe packs a potent nutritional punch, helping you to both prevent and curb the symptoms of illnesses like the cold and flu. And not only does it offer numerous health benefits, if combined right it can in fact be quite tasty (much better than taking that dreaded shot of Robitussin or DayQuil!).
Ingredients needed for recipe include:
- Two-thirds cups of elderberries
- 3 and a half cups of water
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
- 2 T of ginger root (dried or fresh)
- 1 cup of raw honey
- ½ teaspoon of clove powder
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Directions for use:
- Without adding the honey, pour 3 and half cups of water into a saucepan. Add in ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and elderberries.
- Boil the solution, cover the pan, and decrease heat to a simmer for about an hour – or until the liquid has decreased by about half. Once the solution reaches that point, let the solution cool enough until it is able to be handled. Then pour through a strainer into a bowl or jar.
- Let the liquid solution cool to lukewarm temperature, and then stir in honey. Pour the syrup into a jar or bottle.
- Dosage suggestions: For kids, 1 teaspoon. For adults, 1 tablespoon.
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And you’re good to go. You’ve now made your own homemade elderberry syrup!
