Most of us are familiar with the famous Greek Physician, Hippocrates, also considered the “father of medicine” who is famous for saying such as:
- “Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.”
- “The greatest medicine of all is teaching people not to need it.”
- “If someone wishes for good health, one must first ask oneself if he is ready to do away with the reasons for his illness. Only then is it possible to help him.”
Hypocrites had incredible insight when understanding food and how it plays a significant role in the health or illness of our bodies.
First used for
There are many exciting health benefits of adding elderberries to your diet. Here are three I think are worth their weight in gold and enough reason to incorporate elderberries into your daily diet.
- Improvement of circulation which can help to prevent heart disease and stroke
- An excellent source of antioxidants that can help to avoid early signs of aging
- Boosts our immune system and shorten the duration of a cold and flu significantly
Many years ago, I took a class on how to make natural remedies. There, I learned to make Elderberry Syrup, also known as Sambucol. You may have seen those very expensive, tiny little bottles of Sambucol at the Co-op or Wholefoods store. I have great news for you! Making elderberry syrup is not only easy; it’s inexpensive. When you make your own, you can be confident you are only consuming good ingredients and best of all; the taste is even better when it’s homemade.
I prefer more ginger and cinnamon in my elixir to enhance the flavor, so I reformulated the recipe to my liking and I am super excited to share it with you!
Share this Post
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
cups
|
- 1/2 cup dried elderberries
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup raw honey
Ingredients
|
|
- Place the elderberries, cloves, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and water in a medium pan and bring to a boil on high. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the contents of the pan. Using a spoon, press the berries to strain as much liquid as possible. Discard the berries and cinnamon sticks.
- Stir in honey until dissolved. Pour the elderberry syrup in a mason jars and refrigerate up to 90 days.
- Elderberry syrup helps boost the immune system and shorten the duration of cold and flu symptoms.
- Take 1 tablespoon elderberry syrup per day for optimal health.
- Take 2 tablespoons syrup per day, 2-3 times per day when ill to speed up healing and recovery of colds and flu symptoms.
- After straining berries into syrup, add them back into the a with 4 cups water and boil on high for 10 minutes, strain and enjoy as an elderberry tea.
Recipe by Lisa Soldo-Johnson for www.culinarybutterfly.com
(Disclaimer: The information, including but not limited to, text and images contained in this recipe are for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this book.)