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Elderberry syrup is the one natural herb and immunity booster that is an absolutely must-have in my home (now we are upgrading to elderberry syrup plus but first let me explain about elderberry syrup.)
Elderberry Syrup works amazingly well. In fact, studies have shown that elderberry syrup protects against ten strains of the flu!
What’s more, elderberry syrup also helps you recover if you do get the flu or even a cold thanks to its antioxidant and immunity boosting properties! There aren’t many medicines out there that can prevent AND treat!
Now you can buy elderberry syrup at many natural stores and of course online but it will cost you. One 8oz bottle can go for around $18!
Another issue with buying pre-made elderberry syrup is the ingredients. There’s nothing too horrible in them but you do get added ingredients like fructose, glycerin, and preservatives.
Instead, of spending all that money and getting some not-so-wanted ingredients you can easily make your own. Yes, easily!
If you can make tea than you can make elderberry syrup!
How much does homemade elderberry syrup cost?
What’s the cost on homemade elderberry syrup? $2 for 8oz! Huge savings!!!!
Now plain jane elderberry syrup is wonderful, don’t get me wrong but you can make a good thing even better just by adding a few more ingredients.
This is what we are doing in this post. We are taking elderberry syrup and turning it into elderberry syrup plus!
What are we adding to make Elderberry Syrup Plus?
Ginger – Helps fight illnesses and is helpful when dealing with nausea.
Cinnamon – Helps fight infections and viruses. It is also good at helping with any aches and pains from illnesses.
Rosehips – Have a large amount of vitamin c which can be great for boosting immunity.
Disclosure statement: I am a researching mother and natural living enthusiast. I am not a registered herbalist, naturopath, or a medical doctor and cannot treat or diagnose your afflictions. I can, however, provide you with the research and experiences that I have. Please consult your general practitioner for health issues.
Elderberry Syrup Plus
3 cups water
1/2 cup dried elderberries
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbs rosehips
1/2 cup honey – raw honey is preferred*
Directions:
Bring water to boil in a saucepan, add in elderberries, ginger, cinnamon, and rose hips and reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 30-45 minutes or until liquid has reduced by half.
Let the syrup cool.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth, or muslin.
Add in the honey once cool and stir.
Store your elderberry syrup in a jar in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can make large batches of elderberry syrup and can them or freeze them in mason jars.
Keeps for 2-3 months
Dosage:
Preventative: 1 Tbs/daily for adults, 1 tsp/daily for children over 1 year.
When Sick: 1 Tbs/2-3 hours for adults, 1 tsp/2-3 hours for children over 1 year.
* Warning: Babies under 1 year old should not have honey.
Find out how to reuse elderberries after making your elderberry syrup plus below!
Reusing elderberries to make elderberry tea
This is AMAZING! I am going to have to try it! Would you mind if I shared this? (With proper credit of course!)
Feel free to share. 🙂
Recipes like this are usually hard to come by. I’m glad you linked to the info about protecting against the flu virus. That is good information. Thanks for sharing with us at Merry Monday. Pinning for future use.
awesome! I love elderberry syrup for when I have a cough or cold. thanks for this!
We love making elderberry syrup too! Thank you for sharing your recipe with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays! 🙂
Hi Brittany,
I have always known that elderberry syrup is great for the immune system and cold and flu season. Your recipe sounds extra special with the cinnamon and ginger added. What a great immune booster. hanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!
I can tell from your past submissions that I should really make your blog my go-to for natural and healthy recipes! I LOVE this one! Pinned and shared! Thanks for sharing at my craft party! Would love for you to link back to my blog!!
With all of the harmful toxic ingredients in conventional cold and flu formulations, it is such a delight to find this healthy, natural and effective alternative. I need to mix up a batch for my coughing hubby now! Thanks for sharing your DIY Elderberry Syrup Plus recipe with us at the Healthy Happy Green & Natural Party. I’m pinning and sharing.
I assume the “keeps 2-3 months” is for fresh made syrup in refrig? How long can you keep the frozen syrup in the freezer? Thanks.
Yes 2-3 months in the fridge… I’d say about 6 months in the freezer.
how do you can it?
You would can it much like you would can any liquid. However, you will need to add lemon juice to the syrup as you need a higher acidity levels.
I’d like more instruction on this as well. How much lemon juice? For how long and with how much headspace?
I love this recipe btw. It’s been my go-to for a few years now. My kids love it also!
I became hooked on elderberry syrup after taking some along on an archery tournament trip with my daughter as she was not feeling well before leaving. She ended up with a full blown flu, but would not take the elderberry. I did, and never got sick despite staying in the same hotel room with her for a long weekend. Now she asks for it in her college care packages instead of cookies.
Love that she asks for it in her care packages!
Such a great idea for making elderberry syrup even more effective! I’m featuring your post on this week’s Simply Natural Saturdays. Thanks for linking up!
I have frozen elderberries from a shrub/tree at the back of my garden. Can I use these instead of dried?
Yes! You should be able to use frozen elderberries. However you need double the amount of fresh/frozen elderberries. So 1 cup fresh/frozen if it says 1/2 cup dried.
Hello. I make this every year around September when the weather starts changing. It helps for me and the kids. Only difference is I add zest or fresh lemon and oranges for more vitamins and echinacea as well. Woks wonders. I’ve also heard of using calendula as well but haven’t tried yet. Thanks for sharing!🖤🖤