The Whimsy House

I believe in Elderberry. It works. And some say it’s the secret ingredient in Coca-Cola to boot. You can buy it from local health food stores, but it’s pricey. And they won’t be open when your little one starts running a fever at midnight. You can make your own pretty easy. If you are going to trapped in a house with ill children for the next few days you’ll have some time, right?


Make your own. I order the berries online and keep them in the freezer. They are shipped dry and can be left in the pantry, but our pantry is pretty small, so I take advantage of our big box freezer when I can. Then when the mood (or the first cold of the year whichever comes first) strikes me, I make a batch.


Here’s how.

Ingredients

2/3 cup dried black elderberries (if you are using fresh, use 1 ½ cups)

4 cups water

2 TBSP fresh or dried ginger root

1 tsp cinnamon powder

½ tsp Allspice or clove powder

½ tsp nutmeg

1 cup honey

Instructions

Add all ingredients EXCEPT HONEY to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce to a simmer for an hour or less or until the liquid has reduced by half. Remove from heat and mash berries with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Allow to cool.

Add your honey to a jar or a bowl. I put my honey in the jar that I am going to store the syrup in, because I don’t like washing dishes. Strain and pour the warm Elderberry infusion on top on the honey. Put the top on your jar and shake. Once the honey is incorporated in the infusion, you have syrup! Store in the fridge. Lasts for up to three months. Long enough to get you through cold and flu season anyway.

To boost immunity take 1 tsp for kids and 1 Tablespoon for adults. To recover from sickness take the above dose every three hours until symptoms begin to subside.

Instant Pot option: Put all ingredients in pot, seal lid, and set manually for 9 minutes on high pressure. Vent pressure and strain.