Last updated:
Elderberry syrup is my most used natural remedy in our household. Dried elderberries are fruit from the Sambucis Nigra plant. The berries have amazing health benefits and because of their ability to fight off viruses and boost our immunity, we take it daily during cold and flu season.
Elderberries are a natural remedy that has a very long history of medicinal use. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek known as the “father of medicine”, described the plant as his “medicine chest” because of the wide variety of conditions it treated.
Benefits of Elderberries
Immune System Booster
Elderberries are a rich source of vitamins A and C. Also, hello antioxidants! The bioflavonoids in elderberries boost the body’s immune system by greatly increasing antioxidant levels.
Potent Cold and Flu Remedy
Elderberries have huge anti-viral properties! A daily dose of it can help in preventing cold and flu systems while also reducing your sickness by up to 4 days.
“According to a study in the Journal of International Medical Research from the Department of Virology at Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem Israel, patients given elderberry syrup recovered on an average of 4 days faster from the flu then those who did not. A complete cure was reported in 2-3 days in 90% of patients in the clinical trial. This was compared to 6 days for those who took the placebo.”
Another study showed the berry was effective against 10 strains of the influenza virus! (That is a lot, more than the flu shot)
Having sick kiddos is tough but all moms know, when mama goes down, the whole house goes down. So doing what I can to take care of myself too, is top priority.
Sinus Infection Aid and Ease Allergies
Elderberry’s have not only antioxidant properties but also anti-inflammatory properties as well. Therefore, elderberry syrup can help with sinus issues and act as a decongestant.
Having allergies involve an overreaction of the immune system so therefore the anti-inflammatory properties in the berry have the ability to calm inflammation, which can help with allergy relief.
(This is a plus for our family since we all suffer from allergies. While we use this remedy mostly in the cooler months, it’s an extra bonus for us)
Make Elderberry Syrup or Buy it
I love making my own and if you are into that sort of thing then you should have the knowledge to do so. You can find the dried elderberries here.
There are several recipes out there but this one tends to be my favorite. Its sweet, and it stores in the refrigerator for what seems like forever (although it goes fast, I have found a lost jar or two in the fridge.) The kiddos really like the taste, and it keeps them healthy.
P.S. Its delicious on pancakes or waffles too 🙂
Making elderberry syrup is time consuming so sometimes we run out of motivation doing things we don’t feel passionate about. If making your own is not something you want to do then you can find elderberry syrup in my shop seasonally here.
I hope you enjoy!
how to make elderberry syrup
Equipment
- saucepan
- strainer
- quart sized mason jar or 16 oz glass bottle of any kind
Materials
- 2/3 cup dried black elderberries
- 3 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh or dried ginger root
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp cloves or clove powder
- 1 cup raw honey using local honey helps with local allergies
Instructions
- pour water into medium saucepan
- add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves
- bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 45min-1 hour (the liquid will need to be reduced by half)
- remove from heat and let sit until cool enough to handle (roughly 10 min or so)
- mash the berries gently in the saucepan by using a spoon
- pour contents through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl
- discard the elderberries and let liquid cool to lukewarm temperature
- add honey and stir well ( NOTE: wait until no longer hot to avoid losing the medicinal properties of the honey)
- when the honey is well mixed, pour syrup into a quart sized mason jar or 16 oz glass bottle of any kind.
- store in refrigerator
Ali had awasome step by step direction for someone like me who never made the Elderberry syrup. I had seen her post right as 3 of my family members came down with head colds. I did order the Elder berries from her link on Amazon. Love love this will be making it again once we run out. Thanks again Ali for doing the blog on Diy.
So glad to hear you loved it! Keep that family healthy this season:)
I want to make this too! Where did you get the glass container in the photo?
Yes, cant wait to hear how it turns out! The bottles in the photo are from a local shop and wouldn’t work to store it. You can use a good old mason jar and if you prefer a bottle to “pour” from then I would use these. 🙂