Making your own Elderberry Syrup
By John Montes, LAc.
This year’s flu season has been really intense in Minnesota. Right as we are getting ourselves ready for warmer weather fun, we are getting bombarded with news about COVID19-Coronavirus putting us on high alert and rightly so. In addition to following the recommendations of public health officials and your physician, there are many things you can do to keep up your immunity on your own.
This month we are sharing a simple recipe to make a delicious Elderberry syrup, that is safe to use for the whole family. Some of the ingredients are easily found on your local market while others are readily available online. Elderberry, or Sambucus nigra as it is botanically known has been traditionally used for prevention of colds and flu for centuries in addition to be used as an herbal treatment for upper respiratory diseases. The scientific literature backs this up, most recently a meta-analysis recommends the use of elderberry as a preventative and also as alternative in the management of upper respiratory infections. The other two herbal components are fresh ginger and star anise. Both are used in Chinese medicine to prevent and treat viral infections and they make a wonderful flavor addition to the syrup. Raw honey has a wide variety of antiviral properties. There are alternatives for infants or vegans such as maple or brown rice syrup. For the sugar-free folks, combine 1 cup of water, 1 cup of erythritol in a blender and sprinkle ½ tsp of Xanthan gum for a sugar-free, low-carb simple syrup.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup of dried elderberries.
3 TBSP of fresh grated ginger.
5-10 whole pieces of star anise.
3 1/2 cups of water
1 cup of raw honey, preferably local.
Instructions:
1. Place the water, the elderberries, ginger and star anise on a sauce pan, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.
2. Allow for the simmer to go for around 45 minutes or when the liquid has reduced to less than half. Set aside an let it cool down enough to be handled.
3. Strain the contents into a mason jar or a bowl. Use a spoon to mash the berries and get as much juice as possible through. Discard the seeds.
4. Let the concentrated juice cool down completely, mix it with the raw honey and stir until the mix is even.
5. This syrup can be stored in a mason jar or a bottle in the refrigerator. It can last for months as the honey functions as a natural preservative.
6. Have a teaspoon every day, increase the dosage if there are sick people around you. Enjoy!
John Montes is a Licensed Acupuncturist, Manual Therapist and Herbalist practicing at Bhakti Wellness Center. His area of clinical expertise is Integrative Orthopedic Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. He loves gardening herbs and food, making herbal medicine and enjoying nature with his family. You can contact him via text/voice at 612-568-8889 or at john@bhakticlinic.com