This syrup is deliciously lip-smacking! Filled with juicy berry flavor and a nice ginger spice, it will help keep you and your family healthily strong during cold and flu season. It may help as a prophylactic or during illness. This syrup (and others like it) is often on our breakfast table where I serve it by the spoonful to my family.

~ Ingredients ~

This recipe makes a lot of syrup. Plenty to give away to family and friends!

3 ounces Elder Berries
2 big pieces of Ginger Root, chopped (see the picture) Note ~ ginger can be too spicy for some children so you may want to use less if you are making this for kids.
1 oz Rose Hips
1 oz Hawthorn Berries
8 Cinnamon Sticks
Peels from 2 organic Orange
1/8th cup Cardamom Pods (about 60 pods)
14 cups Water
4 to 6 cups of Honey

Need supplies for creating your own herbal crafts?

The Bulk Herb Store and Star West Botanicals* both sell wonderful, high quality herbs, containers, and plenty of other supplies to help you!

~ Method ~

Place everything except the honey in a big pot. Bring almost to a boil and let simmer until liquid volume is reduced by half. While the herbs are simmering take a potato masher and smash up the berries and spices to release their goodness into the water. Kids love helping with this part! Once the liquid is reduced by half, strain the herbs out of the liquid pressing the herbs to get all of the liquid. Return to the pot and add the honey. Add a ½ cup of honey to each cup of the resulting herbal liquid that you have. Heat very gently until the honey melts being careful not to boil the syrup so as to retain the healing enzymes in the honey. Kept refrigerated, it should keep about 3 months, if it lasts that long! Be sure to label your creation with the ingredients and expiration date. To enjoy your syrup: take 2 to 3 teaspoons for adults and 1 teaspoon for children (ages 2 & up) 3 to 5 times a week as a prophylactic during cold and flu season. During illness take the same dosage four times per day.

~ About The Herbs ~

Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) ~ Helps protect against viral illness, in particular the flu as well as hastening healing during viral illness.

Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale) ~ Traditionally used to warms the body, enhances digestion and stimulates the immune system.

Rose Hips (Rosa spp.) ~ Rose hips, the fruit of a rose, are very high in Vitamin C. They make a tasty sweet sour addition to this syrup, helping to prevent infection.

Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus spp.) ~ Nourishes and protects the heart. Used by herbalists to ease anxiety and unrest.

Cinnamon Sticks (Cinnamomum spp.) ~ Cinnamon is known to be mucliagenous and along with it's warming and carminative properties it can help to ease stomach upset. Cinnamon assists in warming up a cold body and easing chills during illness.

Orange Peel & Cardamom Pods (Elettaria cardamomum) ~ These both add a beautiful flavor to the syrup and are used for their carminative properties thereby aiding digestion.

Honey ~ Honey known to be antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. It is used by herbalists for it's wonderful ability to sooth coughs and to help boost the immune system. Raw honey has been found to be high in phytonutrients including antioxidants, friendly bacteria and propolis making it a superior food. Honey is included in this syrup as a preservative. Pretty cool, uh?