I don’t know about y’all, but sinus issues have been making their rounds in my house for what feels like an eternity. My amber bottles of elderberry syrup have become part of my fall decor. I wanted to share the recipe I use in case those of you who love all of the natural remedies were interested in trying it out. I have only ever made this with dried organic elderberries, but I would imagine the process would be about the same if you used fresh.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups of purified water
• 3/4 cup of dried organic elderberries
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• About a 1 inch chunk of fresh ginger root
• 1 cup local raw unfiltered honey

INSTRUCTIONS

• Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. As the elderberries re-hydrate, I mash them up with the back of my spoon.
• Reduce heat to a low simmer and let the mixture simmer down for about 40 minutes or until the liquid has been reduced by half.
• Remove pot from heat and allow to cool.
• Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer lined with two layers of cheesecloth over a bowl and smash the berries down to get all of the juice out (about 1 cup of juice). I will usually twist up the ends of the cheesecloth and really squeeze out every last little bit.
• Then add 1 cup of raw honey to the warm liquid and mix well to combine.
• Pour into an airtight bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to two months.

This recipe is for 16 ounces of syrup, but it could easily be doubled. I prefer to make it in smaller batches so that it is the freshest when we use it, but if you have a big family double up! We take 1 tablespoon a day as an immune booster. When the kids are sick I give them 1 tablespoon twice a day to help knock it out. Let me know what you think if you make it!