Everyone seems to swear by Elderberry Syrup. Take one tablespoon all Winter and you’ll never get sick. That’s what I always hear. Don’t get me wrong, I know science has shown that certain foods can help fight against different things, that gut health is important, that building up an immune system is key. There are truths mixed in with all of the old wives tales of the centuries before us.
There also seems to be about 50 different ways to make Elderberry Syrup. I’m not looking to keep away a Winter sickness, but what peaked my curiosity, was all of the ingredients were known for their anti-inflammatory properties. With a husband that suffers from arthritis, and knowing that I’ve developed it in spots as well, we can certainly use all the help that we can get.
Enter an anecdotal experiment!
So I made some Elderberry Syrup. It’s still too soon to tell whether or not it’s doing anything positive or negative, especially when we need to remember to take it.
Ingredients! Boy do those cloves sure smell.
Here’s the recipe I made.
2/3 cups Dried Elderberries
3 1/2 cups Water
2 tablespoons Ginger Root
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 cup Honey
Throw everything but the honey into a pot and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, that should evaporate off about half of the liquid. Strain the Elderberries, squishing out every last bit of juice you can into your container and let it cool a bit. Add honey, mix well, and take by the tablespoon.
Looks very appealing right? The elderberries really make it look like I’m cooking bird berry poop.
I store mine in the refrigerator. I’m unsure how long it will stay good, but with 2 adults taking a tablespoon each a day at the very least, hopefully it’ll be used up soon.
Not quite as bad looking after straining out the berries. I give it a stir before I take out my tablespoon, just to get all the bits and bobs mixed back together.
~Holly