Herbal Cold Remedies: Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry Syrup
What you’ll need…
1 cup fresh elderberries (Sambucus nigra) or 1/2 cup dried berries
3 cups water
1 cup honey

Place the berries in a saucepan and cover them with the 3 cups of water. Then, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat,
and simmer for a half hour.

SMASH up the berries. Then, strain the mixture through a mesh strainer.
Add the honey.

Bottle and store the elderberry syrup in the fridge, where it will last a few months.

Why Make Elderberry Syrup?

Elderberry syrup is one of the most popular herbal cold remedies in Europe. Elder has been used for centuries
and is one of the most well documented herbal cold remedies. It’s also great for lots of other stuff, but we’ll
keep it simple for now. You can give the elderberry syrup by the teaspoon (kids love it) every 2-3 hours while
sick, or even use it regularly in your food, such as on pancakes! Elder is VERY high in bioflavonoids and is a
great antioxidant. For kids under 2, add the syrup to hot water to kill any microbes in the honey that might make
them sick. I even pour it on my pancakes. It tastes great. Who knew you could add one of the best herbal cold
remedies on your breakfast! :) Elder is one of those magical herbs you can do SO much with. You can use the
flowers in the Spring as well. There are many, many herbal cold remedies you can make. We’ll be exploring
this herb in more detail on HerbMentor for sure. Enjoy!

John Gallagher