Elderberry Syrup & Gummies

Elderberry Syrup & Elderberry Gummies! My immune system is leaping for joy at even the thought!

⁣We did a fairly good job of avoiding any major illnesses or bugs last year and it was NICE, so between back to school and the the start of flu season, I want to do all I can to strengthen the immune systems in our household and keep us all healthy again. Our family is adding elderberry to our daily wellness routine. ⁣⁣

In the past I’ve shared of our love for the wolfberry packed Ningxia Red and all its antioxidant, vitamin and mineral filled properties. Today, I want to dive a bit more into another powerhouse of a berry, the elderberry.

Elderberries are packed with Vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. They are anti-inflammatory and in different studies, have been shown to lessen the length of the flu by several days, support brain and heart health and more! The list goes on for these wonderful berries.

From Livestrong:

Elderberries have become recognized for their abundant nutritional benefits. The plant’s polyphenolic flavonoids are loaded with antioxidants, and also have cancer-fighting properties, notes North Carolina State University. This versatile nutritional powerhouse also contains vitamin C and vitamin E, both of which contribute to immune system health.

In fact, when it comes to berries’ total flavonol makeup, elderberry is the superpower of the bunch, notes Lee Health.

While elderberry syrup is readily available at grocery stores and pharmacies, making your own elderberry syrup is simple and cost effective.

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1/2 cup dried elderberries
1 inch chunk of ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger
A few cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup honey

Instructions:

Bring the water, elderberries, ginger and cinnamon to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for another 45 minutes.
Pour mixture through a strainer (I like to use my rice washer!) and use a tool to mash the berries so that you get all the juice out.
Discard the berries and let mixture come to room temperature.
Add honey to mixture and mix thoroughly.
Store in airtight container. It should keep for at least two weeks. You can freeze any amount that you may not immediately need.

For this most recent batch, I more than doubled the recipe so that I could share with friends and also experiment with making gummies (which I had not done before).

Once I had the syrup made, I set some aside to make elderberry gummies. I used Vital Proteins grass-fed beef gelatin and followed the instructions on the container to make cute little elderberry gummies.

Admittedly, the consistency is not like real gummy candy so my kids didn’t like them. I, on the other hand, can’t stop eating them! It’s the closest thing to a real gummy bear I’ve had in a while.

Recipe:

Slowly combine 2 scoops of Vital Proteins Gelatin with 4oz of cold elderberry syrup
Let stand for 1 minute
Mix in 6oz of hot elderberry syrup
Pour into silicone molds
Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, store in air tight container in fridge, enjoy!

I’m hoping a daily dose of elderberry (recommended quantities vary but I do 1 tsp per day for my kiddos) will keep us bug free this season.

For more information on the benefits of elderberries, visit Healthline, Live Strong and Detoxinista.