Product Spotlight: Elderberry Syrup Kit
Welcome cool weather! After one beautiful - BUT HOT - summer, I think we’re all ready for pumpkins, sweaters, and warm drinks by the fire. What else do we love stocking up on during the cooler months? Elderberry syrup! The dried berries from the sambuca nigra plant are one of our favorite remedies for colder months. These berries are rich in immune boosting compounds like vitamin C and flavonoids that help to keep your body strong. When combined with Gui Zhi Tang and turned into a syrup, the result is a delicious warrior against colds and flu.
Root’s Apothecary Elderberry Syrup Kit includes elderberries (of course!), cinnamon twig, white peony root, ginger, jujube, and licorice root. When used together, these herbs are immunostimulants. Our elderberry syrup can be taken daily to help strengthen your body’s immune system or as needed to help decrease the duration of an illness. We recommend honey but you can also use maple syrup if you prefer, or when giving this syrup to children under the age of 2.
How To Make Elderberry Syrup
We offer elderberry syrup as a DIY kit that is easy to assemble and allows you to tweak the formula to fit your needs. We recommend starting with the recipe as listed below, and then modifying it slightly if you prefer maple syrup over honey, or to add or subtract water from the recipe. We don’t recommend adding herbs or other berries to the mix, however, since this kit uses a perfectly balanced herbal formula.
Elderberry syrup kits also offer a number of other practical benefits: dried herbs are more shelf-stable than a prepared syrup, do not require refrigeration, and they are much easier to ship and give as a gift in their dried form. This means you can buy our kit at any time of the year, then prepare it when you’re ready for some immune boosting properties.
When it comes time to assemble your syrup, the process is simple, and should take less than two hours including cooling time. To prepare your elderberry syrup kit, follow these instructions:
1. Pour 3 ½ cups of water into a medium saucepan, then add all of the herbs and berries included in your syrup kit. Cover the pan with the lid and turn on high heat.
Give all of the ingredients a quick stir once they’re in the water to mix them up and break apart any berries that may be stuck together.
2. Bring the pan to a boil, and then uncover and reduce to a simmer for about 30-45 minutes. You want the liquid to reduce by about half.
You should still see some small bubbles during the simmering process, but not a rolling boil.
3. Remove from heat and let cool in the pan.
4. Using a spoon or spatula, mash the berries.
A potato masher is great for this step too. Don’t over-mash the fruit: you want it to still be rough and chunky for the next step.
5. Pour the syrup through a strainer or cheesecloth into a large bowl. Discard the berries and herbs.
Make sure your strainer has very small openings. You do not want any pieces of berry floating in the final syrup.
6. Once the mixture has cooled, add 1 cup of honey (or maple syrup) to the bowl and stir until it has fully incorporated. The mixture should thicken up slightly.
Stir the mixture thoroughly to ensure the honey has fully incorporated.
7. Carefully pour the elderberry syrup into a glass bottle with a lid, like a mason jar.
8. Store the syrup in the refrigerator and take once daily.
Small mason jars are perfect for storing your elderberry syrup. Tip: it’s easier to pour syrup into a wide-mouth jar.
Benefits of Elderberry
Elderberries are one of the most popular berries in herbalism today. And with good reason: elderberry is a fantastic herb to make part of your wellness routine, especially as the colder weather brings colds and other illnesses. These berries have a sweet and sour flavor profile, similar to cranberries, which makes them a great option for kids and people who aren’t fans of earthy herbs. Elder is nicknamed “the medicine chest for the country people” due to the wide range of remedies that can be made using the plant’s flowers, roots, bark, and berries.
Elderberries are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, antioxidants, and iron. They have cool, pungent, slightly astringent, and slightly sweet energetic properties in herbalism.
Research has shown that elderberries can be effective in treating coughs and congestion, especially those associated with lower respiratory viral infections. An addition study suggests " herbal preparations containing elder may result in less swelling of mucus membranes, better drainage, milder headache, and decreased nasal congestion.” When taken as a syrup like the one created with this kit, elderberries can help reduce the duration of a cold or the flu. In one study, 93.3% of patients given an elderberry syrup had improved flu symptoms within 2 days, while the placebo group took 6 days to see similar improvements.
Gui Zhi Tang: Understanding the Classic Chinese Medicine Formula
Gui Zhi Tang is an herbal formula that has been relied upon in Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. It consists of cinnamon twig, white peony root, ginger, jujube, and licorice root. Gui Zhi Tang is a warming formula, commonly used for immune boosting functions, as well as purging pathogens in the early stages of illness. This makes it a perfect compliment to elderberries. Each herb in this formula has its own unique properties that are worth exploring to better understand how they work together.
Cinnamon Twig: used in herbalism for its warming qualities that direct pathogens out of the body, cinnamon twig has a sweet flavor and is incredibly aromatic. Cinnamon twig has been shown to have antimicrobial and antioxidant qualities.
White Peony Root: A widely used herb in Chinese Medicine, white peony root supports the liver and immune system.
Ginger: A warming herb, ginger is great for calming the digestive system and soothing nausea. Ginger also supports healthy circulation.
Jujube: A nourishing herb and antioxidant.
Licorice Root: This herb helps to sweeten and harmonize the entire formula, and takes the “earthy” edge off of some of the other herbs. Licorice is also good for liver and heart function, and can soothe coughing.
Elderberry Syrup Kits from Roots Acupuncture & Apothecary
This kit is a simple, potent recipe that has been clinically proven to help with cold and flu symptoms. We believe it should be a staple of every herbal pantry, and are glad we can offer our unique variation on elderberry syrup to our clients. If you’d like to order a kit, you can visit our webstore here. In addition, you can also purchase a kit during your next appointment at our clinic or by calling or texting our number: 864-601-0910 . We’re excited to offer elderberry syrup kits in our apothecary, and hope they bring you some relief this fall and winter!
Our elderberry syrup kit is available now in our store.