10/03/2025
I've had a few requests for Elderberry Syrup in the last week. It seems the usual back to school sickness has reared it ugly head and is making its rounds.
Elderberry Syrup is my project for today.The berries, flowers, and bark of the elder (Sambucus) plant have long been prized by herbalists across the globe, and modern studies have also substantiated the berries’ ability to help maintain normal, healthy functioning of our immune system*. This makes elderberry an excellent plant ally to promote resilience during times when our body's systems are particularly stressed (the winter holidays come to mind!).
So why syrup? There are a couple reasons that these berries, which can be prepared in many ways, are so often enjoyed in syrup form. One reason is practicality. Most traditional elderberry syrups are made with a good portion of raw honey, and the sugar content (combined with honey’s legendary shelf life) acts as a natural preservative for your beneficial berries.
The other reason many folks choose elderberry syrup? The taste! The flavor of elderberries really shines with a little sweetening, which is why variations of elderberry syrup are used for purely enjoyable reasons, such as a topping for pancakes, oatmeal, or desserts.
Also, many traditional wellness-centric syrup recipes include some high-proof alcohol to further extend their shelf life. This added preservative can potentially allow you to enjoy your syrup all season long, but many people also appreciate how the honey or other sweetener helps mask the liquor’s flavor.
My plan is to boost the elderberries with warm spices along with Ginger, Tumeric and Mullein - considered a noxious w**d by the government but potentially one of the best lung fortifying herbs out there. I've even heard about it helping people with COPD, Asthma and Pneumonia. I use it in my v**e, mixed with a few other herbs. Mullein also makes amazing ear drops which you can get from Rose Moon Apothecary. I plan to make it with Alcohol to preserve the shelf life, at the end of the season last year I had to discard alot of product without alcohol.
I'll post the results along with the sizes and prices later today or tomorrow.
