Elderberry Syrup with Ginger + Rosehips

ELDERBERRY SYRUP FOR WINTER WELLNESS 🌿

Its the time of the year when our physical, emotional, + energetic bodies need a little more care and support to run effectively and healthfully. And for as long as there have been humans, there have been humans co-creating with the plants around them for health + wellness. This week I will be sharing with you my favorite plant medicine practices for keeping well during the darker days of the year.⁠

Today we will start with one of the most potent immunity boosting herbal remedies: ELDERBERRY SYRUP! ⁠

You can of course purchase this potent medicine from your local herbalist but part of the empowerment of working with plants is to make your own medicine! And this one, like most herbalism practices, is pretty easy.

Here’s my recipe:⁠

4 cups of water⁠

1 cup of dried elderberries⁠

1/2 cup of fresh ginger⁠

1/4 cup dried rosehips⁠

Honey⁠

Spiced Rum⁠

Combine water and herbs in a saucepan on the stove and bring the water up to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 30-45 minutes. Keep an eye on the liquid, you may have to add a bit more as the berries absorb a lot of water. ⁠

⁠Remove from heat and let cool. Strain the plant material from the liquid using cheesecloth and a strainer. Squeeze every last drop of liquid from the berries, ginger, and rosehips. Now you have a super potent elderberry decoction.

However much decoction you have, you need to combine it with that much honey/alchohol to preserve. If you have 2 cups elderberry decoction, add to it one cup of rum AND one cup of honey. Play with the preservative ratios if you like, even using all honey or all rum. Store in a glass jar in the fridge.⁠

Done!⁠

Bonus: I like to make elderberry ice cubes as well! Instead of adding honey and/or rum you can freeze your elderberry decoction in ice cube trays to add to your daily infusion when you’re feeling a cold coming on.⁠

Some other herbs you might consider adding are cinnamon, cloves, echinacea, or licorice root.

Take a tablespoon of elderberry syrup a few times a day when you feel like you’re getting sick. As a powerful immune-stimulant, elderberry kicks your immune system up a notch to fight off infection. This is the most effective way to take elderberry, rather than taking it everyday when you’re feeling well as a preventative.