Grape Harvest Herbal Syrup

Grape Harvest Herbal Syrup

In my yard resides a beautiful gnarly grapevine.  It grows along my fence and at times threatens to overtake a lovely Italian plum tree I have planted there.  Every year perfect full bunches of grapes form all along the vine.  In the Autumn they hang heavy, deeply purple and full of seeds.  Their flavor is intense and beautiful, almost too much to sit and munch on for longer than a few minutes.  

Read More

Elder: A Superb Winter Friend

Elder: A Superb Winter Friend

Elder is an incredibly useful plant with a long history of use.  Having a vast multitude of actions, elder is useful for a wide array of ailments.  Perhaps elder is best known for it’s ability to treat colds and flus.  Elder flowers and berries are the mostly widely known and indeed are the safest parts of the elder plant.

Read More

Spiced Berry Immunity Syrup

Spiced Berry Immunity Syrup

This syrup is deliciously lip-smacking!  It will help keep you and your family healthy and strong during cold and flu season.  Take it as a prophylactic or for healing during illness.  This syrup (and others like it) is often on our breakfast table where I serve it by the spoonful to my family.  

Read More

Ginger Day ~ Herbs for Kids ~

Ginger Day ~ Herbs for Kids ~

Not long before holiday break we had a lovely day playing with ginger and doing one of the kids' favorite activities, foot soaks!  This is a great way to spend a cold winter day especially if little ones are passing any sort of cold around as it stimulates the immune system and helps kids relax.

Read More

Elderberry Day ~ Herbs For Kids ~

Elderberry Day ~ Herbs For Kids ~

As a preschool teacher and a parent, I am always on the look out for ways to help kids learn about staying healthy during cold and flu season.  So every year, just like I do at home, I make elderberry syrup with the kids at preschool.

Read More

Elderberry for Winter Health

Nature has blessed us with so much.  Looking to Nature we can find a multitude of amazing plant allies that can help the whole family stay nourished and healthy during the winter months.  A favorite is elder berry which has an extensive traditional use as a preventative for the flu and as a support during the flu.  In fact modern research has found elderberries to be active against the flu virus.  You can easily make a yummy syrup from elderberries to take on a regular basis during flu season.  This is something that most kids really enjoy taking which is a major plus!  If you don't want to make your own syrup a ready-made preparation of elderberry Sambucol can be purchased at most natural food stores.  And if despite your best efforts, sickness should take hold, syrups can be used during a bout of the flu to hasten healing.

We make the following easy delicious recipe for syrup every year.

~ Elderberry Syrup ~

  • One cup of fresh or ½ cup of dried elderberries
  • 1 to 2 tsp of whole cloves (use less if you are using ground cloves)
  • 1 to 3 tsp of cinnamon chips (use less if you are using ground cinnamon)
  • 1 inch of fresh ginger root, chopped
  • the peel of one organic orange
  • 3/4 cup of raw unprocessed honey which acts as a preservative and enhances flavor
  • 3 cups of water

Directions:  Simmer the elderberries and spices in 3 cups of water.  Once the berries have softened smash up the berries and spices in the water.  This is a fun part to have children help with.  I use a potato masher and closely supervise my kids while the squish away to their hearts delight!  Cook at a low boil for about a ½ hour or until the liquid reduces by one-half.  Strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer.  Make sure to get all the seeds out, which can be somewhat irritating to the digestive tract.  Return the liquid to the pot and add the honey.  Heat until the honey just melts.  Then bottle, label (include the date!) and refrigerate your new syrup.  It will keep in the refrigerator for about three months.  Take 2 to 3 teaspoons for adults and 1 teaspoon for children (ages 2 and up) 3 to 5 times a week as a prophylactic during flu season.  If you do happen to get sick with a bout of the flu take the same dosage about four times per day.  Only the blue elderberries (Sambucus nigra) should be used as the red ones are toxic.  Elderberries are generally considered to be quite safe though they can be drying and irritating for folks suffering from migraines.  If you have a reaction, stop taking it immediately.

Recipe and information from Brigitte Mars's Elder.

A highly knowledgeable herbalist, Brigitte Mars lovingly offers her treasure trove of information for us to all learn from.  Her classes are lively, fun and interesting.  Her books offer an extremely valuable resource to those wishing to study herbs and learn about healthy living.
simmering elderberry syrup
simmering elderberry syrup

Make your syrup special

The spices included in this recipe not only make it taste delicious but also help to warm the body, decrease inflammation and support healthy digestion.  Other herbs can be added to this syrup to increase its protective properties.  Rose hips are soothing and will provide nourishing vitamin C and bioflavonoids.  Astragalus has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a tonic to the immune system particularly to prevent illness.  However, this herb should not be used during illness as it can drive infection deeper into the body.  So do not take astragalus  during the flu or cold.  A great herb for children’s health is lemon balm.  This yummy plant is antibacterial and antiviral, while also calming the digestive and easing nervous energy.  Add any of these herbs by the handful to the pot with the elderberries be sure to also add a little extra water during the simmering and a bit more honey.

Enjoy!

elderberry syrup with rosehips
elderberry syrup with rosehips
Note that this information is in no way meant to take the place of professional medical care.  Please use common sense and see a doctor if you need one.  See Healthy Use of This Information.
Thanks!

More Please...

Elderberry Day ~ Herbs for Kids ~ 

Shared on

Little Natural CottageSunday Parenting Party