It’s that time of year! The weather is cold and we are forced indoors to entertain ourselves and our wee ones. We find germs around every corner and no matter how careful we are, the kids still end up sick! Cold after cold, snotty nose after snotty nose, we battle our way through the season hoping to get by with as little illness as possible until the sun shines again and we are released into the parks and outdoor pools.
Does this sound familiar? I bet it is spot on if you have any little ones at home…or even for yourself for that matter! Nobody likes getting sick, especially me and my family. This is why we have been dabbling in natural remedies and preventives to help ward off the germie’s.
Today’s post is all about a delicious little concoction that will help prevent colds but will also help shorten their lifespan if you sadly catch one: Elderberry Syrup!
We first bought a bottle of this magic little potion at a local herb shoppe. It was $20 and lasted a short amount of time in our three person household. Taking a teaspoon per person per day doesn’t seem like much but it sure goes quickly…too quickly for us to afford this habit. This is when my husband looked into a recipe to make our own. He found a great video tutorial on Youtube which you can watch HERE. It is the same info I give in this post, I have just broken it down into a quick pic tutorial for ya. We gathered all of the supplies from our local grocery stores and herb shoppes and I got brewing. It is super simple, quick and makes enough to last a family of three for 2 weeks (even taking extra doses every day). It is definitely the more cost effective way to go, so I thought I would share the recipe with you all.
You will need:
- 1/2 cup dried elderberries
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup local raw honey (i found mine at whole foods)
- 5 whole cloves
Directions:
- add all ingredients except the honey into a saucepan and bring to a boil.Â
- Once boiling, turn it down and let it simmer 20-30 minutes
- After the mix has cooked down to half the amount of liquid it is time to drain it.
- Strain out all the chunks and bits so that you have a deep, dark juice.
- mix the 1 cup of honey into your juice liquid and stir until mixed well.
- Store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to two weeks.
- Take 1-2 teaspoons per person everyday.
Have a lovely week…and stay healthy!
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