From the Kitchen: Homemade Elderberry Syrup and Elderberry Gummy Bears

Is it just me, or is the flu worse this year than normal?!  With 2 family members with asthma and an infant in the house, I am super paranoid this year!  Any of the 3 of them are likely to end up hospitalized if they catch the flu due to their health conditions.  We are being extra careful this flu season, which has meant making a few changes (in addition to getting our flu shots): we remove our shoes at the door to avoid tracking germs across the floor; we all wash our hands immediately when returning home from being outside or in public, and we are staying home as much as physically possible to minimize our exposure.  This means no playgrounds or indoor play areas; switching off which of us goes to church to keep the kids out of childcare; and eating at home as much as possible to avoid public places.  

I recently learned about elderberry syrup and its natural immunity-boosting properties.  I am not normally one for "natural" remedies but, like I said, I am desperate to keep my family flu-free, so I figured it can't hurt anything.  You can buy elderberry syrup pre-made (Nature's Way and Gaia Herbs are two popular brands), but it is easy and less expensive to make at home - and you can control the quality of the ingredients by using all organic.

I'm not taking the elderberry syrup since I'm breastfeeding (there isn't any known contraindication, but there also aren't studies proving it's safe, so I'm abstaining), and baby M can't have any since she's under 1 and it contains honey...but hubs and C are going to take a daily dose for the remainder of flu season.  

Lots of people take it in syrup form, but that seemed potentially messy with a 3-year-old (it's dark purple); when I found out how easy it was to make gummy bears out of it, that seemed like the obvious method for us - I knew C would jump at the chance to have a piece of "candy" daily!

You probably won't be able to find some of the ingredients (especially dried elderberries) locally, but luckily they are sold online!

Elderberry Syrup

Yield: 2 cups (approximately 32 1-tablespoon adult doses or 96 1-teaspoon children's doses; makes a one-month supply for one adult; you may wish to double or triple this recipe if making for a family)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried organic elderberries (Frontier is a well-known brand)

1 organic cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons organic dried ginger root

4 whole organic cloves or 1/4 teaspoon ground organic cloves

2 cups water

1 cup raw organic honey

Put the dried elderberries, spices, and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan (uncovered) and bring to a boil.  Cover with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the liquid reduces by half.  Remove from heat and allow to cool until warm.  Use a strainer to remove the berries and cinnamon stick while pouring the liquid into a glass jar.  Stir in 1 cup of honey.  

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container (it should last 6-8 weeks).

Dosing:

For maintenance/preventative: adults - 1 tablespoon daily; children: 1 teaspoon daily

During illness: increase frequency to every 2-3 hours (using same doses as above)

Note: should not be given to children under 1 year, as it contains honey.  No studies exist on the effects on breastfeeding or pregnant women, so they should refrain from use as well.

If your kids don't like taking it straight (from a spoon or medicine cup), try mixing it into applesauce!  Or if you want to take the foolproof approach like me, make it into gummy bears :)

Elderberry Gummy Bears

Yield: 105 approx 1" gummy bears

Ingredients:

2 cups elderberry syrup (see recipe above)

3 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin

Oil spray (coconut, vegetable, etc.) - for greasing molds

Silicone gummy bear molds (these are slightly larger than other gummy bear molds)

Warm 2 cups of elderberry syrup (the whole recipe prepared per above) in a small saucepan, being careful not to boil.  Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the syrup, allowing it to fully soak (will no longer appear white).  Use a whisk to stir in the gelatin until smooth.  

Spray the gummy bear molds lightly with an oil spray to prevent sticking (I did not do this the first time and mine stuck to the molds!) and place on a cookie sheet or other hard surface to allow for easy transport after molds are filled.  Use a dropper to fill each gummy bear mold with the gelatin syrup mixture, placing in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set.  

Gently remove each gummy bear from the molds and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Dosing:

For maintenance/preventative: adults - 3 gummy bears daily; children: 1 gummy bear daily

During illness: increase frequency to every 2-3 hours (using same doses as above)