I dread all bugs coming from the nursery, so last year first time I made an elderberry syrup for my daughter - and for our whole family . And it worked. She did not have any serious illness last year, so we are more or less safe, plus she loves its taste. The best natural remedy.This elderberry syrup is good for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsillitis. It has got all the benefits of honey as well.
What is good about elderberry syrup:
- It is high in vitamin A, B and C
- It is a powerful antioxidant
- Protects kidney
- Boosts the immune system
- Lowers cholesterol
- It is sweet and delicious fruity
- Easy to make
- You can make it yours: adding extra ingredients you can boost its benefits: ginger, thyme, rosemary
How can you use it?
It is good just for prevention: 1 tsp a day.
Or if it is too late as natural element of the curing process. When you can feel the first symptoms of soar throat, flu or cold - quickly a teaspoonful syrup. If you miss this and the flu strikes take one teaspoon very 3-4 hours.
It can be consumed itself - as a syrup, but you can stir it into yoghurt (this is my favourite), add to fruit or herbal tea, evening milk, smoothies. Stir into porridge or pour on some fromage frais, pancake or desserts.
The only thing you need to avoid add the syrup to boiling hot drink or food. This would kill the benefits of honey.
Here is the recipe:
Elderberry syrup
What you need:
About 500-700 g black elderberry washed, removed from stems
Handful of fresh thyme
250 ml sugar
150 ml water
200 ml honey
Cinnamon
Dried ginger optional
Put the berries, cinnamon and thyme in a pan with a small amount of water and bring it to boil, simmer it for a 20 minutes. Then let it cool down to lukewarm temp pass it through a strainer, we not need the seeds. What you get a thick deep purple liquid. Make a sugar syrup, adding 150 ml water to 250 ml sugar and start to warm it while all the sugar dissolved. Mix together the elderberry liquid, honey and sugar syrup. Mix it well and pour them into small jars.
I keep them in the fridge, as there is not preservatives in them.
Please note that elderberry can not be eaten raw! Always cook the berries before eating them.
This what I made yesterday:
I've just tasted this today and can confirm it was delicious!!! Where did you get the berries by the way Forgot to ask ;)
ReplyDeleteI picked them in the park :-) I was a bit late this year as now the season is coming to end and the birds already eat up the best of it, but last year in August there were really big, juicy berries. I picked only 4-5 stem to make up the 500 g. :-)
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