Home Made Elderberry Syrup Recipe with Essential Oils
My family has been using elderberry syrup to boost our immune systems and ward off seasonal threats for years. I keep dried ingredients on hand so I always have it available anytime I need to make a batch. Typically, as soon as cold and flu season begins I make a batch to start to use as prevention and it is good in the refrigerator for about 3 months so it’s perfect to make during that season that most people wind up getting exposed.
I would use as prevention for the following:
Prior to airline travel
Back to school
Prior to attending a conference
Prior to seasonal get togethers
Once exposed to someone who is sick or upon experiencing symptoms I would take it two times a day for about a week. For prevention we use it 3-5 times a week during high exposure times.
I purchased all of my supplies from Amazon (minus the essential oil), buying directly from the sellers stores and choosing organic options. I have shown you some samples of the elderberries I use and what the dried spices look like. I prefer the spices to be in “chips” or pieces over ground so they can infuse the liquid and then be easily strained off. This keeps the texture of the elderberry syrup smooth. If you don’t want to use whole cloves or dried pieces of the other spices you can also use essential oils at the end of the process. I use the dried spices I have for home made teas as well so I like to keep them on hand.
Elderberry Syrup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup dried elderberries
2 tbsp dried ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
4 cups filtered water
1 cup raw honey
5 drops of On Guard Essential Oil
Instructions:
Put elderberries, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and water into a sauce pan.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for about 45 minutes, until liquid is reduced by half.
Allow the mixture to cool until still warm but not hot.
Strain elderberries out of liquid into a glass container. It’s a good idea to use a spoon to press the liquid out of the berries as you go.
Stir honey into elderberry liquid. When using raw honey try not to put it in while the liquid is too warm. You want it warm enough to melt and distribute through the mixture but not hot enough to kill the beneficial properties of the honey.
Once cooled add the essential oil. It’s important not to add it while it’s hot or it will break down the essential oil and decrease or even eliminate the effectiveness.
Store in a glass container with a lid, preferably one that is easily pourable as shown.
* Shake well (carefully) before each use to mix the essential oils into the mix. Otherwise the oil will sit on top and all of it wind up in your dose.
Elderberries leave permanent stains so wipe up spills and treat fabrics immediately. It’s best when making elderberry syrup to use dishcloths and towels that you are ok with getting stained.
Dosage: About a tablespoon. I use a small shot glass for ease.
*A note on ingesting essential oils. when using for children you may want to omit the essential oils or adjust the dosage appropriate for their size. For smaller children I would probably omit it from the mixture and instead use it diluted on the bottom of feet. I also only ever use doTERRA essential oils because of quality and third party testing. I don’t recommend ingesting any other brand of essential oils so that’s what I recommend here. I also want to stress not to purchase essential oils (even doTERRA) from resellers online. These can be tampered with and it is easy to change the contents and place a new lid on it that makes it appear legitimate. To avoid consuming anything other than the pure essential oils I would purchase directly from doTERRA’s website. You can do that here with my distributor link.( If you do that I will earn a small commission) Purchasing directly from the supplier in every instance is the best way to ensure safety with anything you consume. The link I provided will allow you to create a wholesale membership if you would like to purchase pure essential oils at a discount at the time of purchase or in the future.
What Are The Benefits of Elderberry Syrup?
Elderberry syrup is commonly used for the following health benefits:
Minimization of cold, flu and virus symptoms
Prevention of cold, flu and viruses
Anti-Inflammatory aide
Fever reduction
Some other additional benefits you may not know are:
Acne
Heart health
Constipation
Joint pain
Minor skin conditions
Stress
Why I Chose On Guard Essential Oil
I prefer simplicity with everything I do. On Guard is a blend of essential oils designed to support immune health and contains some of the same essential oils and spices used in the mix. Some of the essential oils used are clove, wild orange, cinnamon bark, rosemary and a eucalyptus that is safe to ingest. Rather than purchasing all of the essential oils separately, (which is more costly) I prefer to use a premade blend. I also prefer buying things that are multi use and I diffuse this essential oil as well as use it around my house as a safe cleaning agent. On Guard is my recommendation for you in this recipe because it’s the easiest, most economical and least inventory for you to manage.
I hope you find this recipe useful and add this to your natural wellness lifestyle. We have found it to be so helpful and make it a point to utilize it as one of our regular wellness protocols.
All my best,