Jolene, Author at Urban Family Homestead & Apothecary

Every fall, as the weather gets cooler, I anticipate lots of colds and sniffles. Elderberry Syrup is the perfect companion to these cold fall and winter days to combat those germs and boost your immune system. There are many ways to use elderberries as a medicinal benefit to your health. Most people make it into syrup or gummies as its’ great for little kids they give it to and the preservative is honey. Great for getting it down easy! But since it does have honey in it, you will want to keep this for ages 1+ just to mitigate any very small chance of botulism. Other ways of taking it that can last even longer include extracts (last about 1-2 years) or even a tincture (which lasts 4-6 years as it’s made with alcohol).

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Pinterest image for urban family homestead titled one cup of elderberries four ways. — pinterest.com/urbanfamilyhomestead

Why Elderberries?

Elderberries, also known as Sambucus, is a flowering plant that people use for medicinal properties. There are different varieties of Sambucus but we are going to be using Sambucus Nigra and is the kind you will find most often. I really enjoy using elderberries from Frontier Co-Op which you can find here. Frontier Co-Op has great quality dried elderberries and at the time of writing this, they are about $24/1 pound. Making one batch of elderberry syrup take approximately one cup so these will last you quite awhile. To keep them fresher longer, keep them in a sealed jar. If storing long term, keep them in the freezer!

Sambucus Nigra - Elderberries — **Sambucus Nigra**

The reason elderberries are so beneficial are because they are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins such as A, C, and D. Elderberries stimulate the immune system because it contains a compound called anthocyanidins. There have been a handful of studies correlating these effects in addition to the multitudes of anecdotal information you can find in natural medicine and mom groups!

Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Ingredients shown: Elderberries, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, unfiltered raw honey.

Ingredients:
1 cup of elderberries (I purchase mine from Amazon here)
6 cups of filtered water
0.25 ounces of chopped or grated fresh ginger (powdered can also be used)
3-4 roughly broken/crushed cinnamon sticks (powdered works well too)
2-6 whole cloves (how much is a personal preference)
1.5 cups of raw honey (I purchase mine locally or from Costco)

You will also need:
Strainer, cheese cloth, or nut mylk bag
Glass
Glass Mason jar
Large pot or saucepan
Marker/Labels

Directions:
1. Place the elderberries, water, and spices into a pot and bring to a boil.

2. When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 45 minutes or until reduced by half.

3. Let the liquid cool off for a bit before pouring into a strainer, over the glass bowl.

4. Add in the honey and stir.

5. When it is completely cooled, pour into a Mason jar, add a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Although you will find this varies from recipe and person to person.

When it is completely cooled, pour into a Mason jar, add a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Although you will find this varies from recipe and person to person.

How to use:
You can use elderberry syrup every day in low doses as a tonic and/or larger doses at the first sign of illness.

I suggest 1 tsp for kids 1+ and 1 TBSP for teens and adults for daily use. If you do happen up on a flu or cold, you can do this dose every 3-4 hours.

What to do With Leftovers

I hate wasting left over food so if this is also you, here are somethings you can do with your left over elderberries and spices to stretch them further – including an alternative use for your homemade syrup you just made!

Elderberry Gummy Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups of your homemade elderberry syrup
1 TBSP unflavored gelatin powder (ratio of 1 TBSP : 2 cups liquid)
1/2 cup hot filtered water
Silicone molds & dropper (these are the ones I have)

Directions:
Takes half of your elderberry syrup, gelatin, water, and mix in a glass bowl until well incorporated. Add in the rest of the elderberry syrup and mix. Pour into the silicone molds and refrigerate for 2 or more hours until set up and firm. Kids can take 2 of these daily, adults 4 daily for prevention. You can take 1-2 every 3-4 hours during onset of illness, adults 2-4 every 3-4 hours.

The unflavored gelatin I used linked in my Amazon.

It can get VERY messy!! I suggest getting the small plastic skinny pipettes instead of the ones it came with.

Elderberry Extract Recipe

Ingredients:

Leftover elderberries and spices
Vegetable glycerin – I like palm-free coconut-derived ones

Directions:
Put left over elderberries and spices into a mason jar and cover with vegetable glycerin like this one or my favorite this one from Wildly Organic, for 4-6 weeks, shaking daily. Strain and pour into amber bottles with dropper tops. Depending on your glycerin, this can be good for 1-2 years. You can put into the refrigerator to make it last longer.

My absolutely favorite vegetable glycerin from Wildly. It is palm-free but don't use if you have a coconut allergy as it is derived from coconuts. — My absolutely favorite vegetable glycerin from Wildly. It is palm-free but don’t use if you have a coconut allergy as it is derived from coconuts.

Elderberry Tincture Recipe

Ingredients:
Leftover elderberries and spices
80 proof or higher vodka

Directions:
Put left over elderberries and spices into a mason jar and cover with any vodka 80 proof or higher for 4-6 weeks, shaking daily. Strain and pour into amber bottles with dropper tops. Depending on your glycerin, this can be good for 4-6 years.

Compost

When you are done making your syrup (and then hopefully also another version of elderberry goodness), make sure you compost those berries in your home or city compost bin!

As always, I am not your doctor or naturopath. If you have questions, please consult them before ingesting anything anyone tells you on the internet!

What is a basic salve recipe? There are many out there but with a basic recipe, you can create any combination you would like!

pinterest title page how to make a healing salve

Basic Salve Recipe

Infuse any oil, such as olive or avocado, with anti-inflammatory herbs, such as calendula and/or sunflower petals. Let sit for 3-4 weeks, up to 6 weeks, shaking 1-2 times a day.
Strain herbs out of petals with a cheese cloth or very fine strainer.
In a double boiler, bring water to boil and add in 2oz of grated or chopped beeswax.
Add in about 6oz of infused oil to the double boiler.
Heat until fully mixed. Add in essential oils (optional).
Pour into sterilized tins or glass jars.
Let set for a few hours and put a lid on it with label.

Read on for more detailed instructions and photos!

OIL INFUSION

You can infuse any oil, such as olive or avocado, with anti-inflammatory herbs, such as calendula and/or sunflower petals. I really enjoy this avocado oil from Chosen Foods. Let the infusion sit on a shelf for 3-4 weeks but up to 6 weeks is best. Keep stored in a cool dark area, shaking 1-2 times per day.

Infused oil with calendula and sunflower petals from the summer garden.

PREP

Choose your container you want to put your end product in. I chose 1oz aluminum tins from Amazon which you can find here. These can be reused or recycled at the end of their life and easy to open and close. Make sure you sterilize whatever you want to use. Run them through a hot wash in the dishwasher or boil for 10 mins in a pot of boiling water and let air dry. It’s best to make sure the tins or jars are completely dry before you use them.

Sterilizing my 1oz tins for 10 minutes in boiling water.

STRAIN

Next you will need to strain the herbs out of the oil but placing a small holed strainer over a bowl. You can use a cheese clothe if you have one on hand or you can even lay the cheesecloth over the strainer for a double strain. Let the oil fall into the bowl and compost the herbs.

There will still be oil after you let it sit for a few minutes. Use a potato masher to get the rest!

MELTING

It’s time to melt the beeswax over the stove. For this, I like to use a double boiler. A simple glass bowl inside of a saucepan with water will work just fine. The idea is not to direct heat the beeswax as it can easily scorch in the bottom of the pan. I added about 2oz of grated local beeswax. If you grate the beeswax blocks (or purchase pellets) it will melt much faster.

If you use raw local beeswax like I do, the beeswax will look like a really dark amber color. Don't worry, it lightens up in the end when it has cooled again! — If you use raw local beeswax like I do, the beeswax will look like a really dark amber color. Don’t worry, it lightens up in the end when it has cooled again!

ADD-INS

You can add in your oil after your wax has melted. The beeswax will look un-melted for a bit while everything remelts and merges together. After you have melted everything 100%, remove from heat and stir in any essential oils you may want to add. Lavender oil is my favorite for healing salves. This finishes the salve recipe. Next it’s time to pour!

Add your oil in! It will look weird as the oil temporarily cools the beeswax before it melts it right back down. Time to add in your essential oils (optional).

POUR

Time to pour your hot salve mixture in. I transferred the melted mixture into a small glass tea pot with a spout to reduce mess. Next, fill the tins or jars of your choice almost to the top. I prefer to leave just a tiny bit of head space especially if you are using a top that doesn’t have any additional space. My tins did have some extra space built into the top, so I could pour it to the tippy top with the salve mixture. Mason jars do not have this extra space, so you will want to leave just a bit of space so the lid fits on properly.

They should be about this full when you are done pouring them.

LET IT COOL

The smaller the container, the less amount of time it takes the salve to cool. Whichever you choose I suggest letting them cool for 12-24 hours before gifting to others. You can put a label on it or just write the ingredients / what it is on the top. You are all done!