Written by Aisha S
Image by @Melissaswardrobe
Winter has arrived and with its arrival comes runny and blocked noses, sniffles and coughing. Urgh! As we all starting running to the shops for all sorts of cold & flu syrups and tablets, I thought it would be a great time to share how I tackle cold & flus at home.
If you have come across me on instagram, you’ll know that the queen of all winter herbs in my life is elderberry! I swear by it and have forced anyone that will listen to make it a staple in their home. As the winter approaches, I make elderberry syrup for myself and my nephews and hand on heart it keeps the colds away! I will share with you how to make your own but first let’s talk about my girl, elderberry!
What are Elderberries?
Elderberries, also known as Sambucus nigra, are one of the most used medicinal plants used in the world. Yup, THE WORLD! It’s a small black berry that grows on a tree in clusters and is surrounded by white flowers that you may already be familiar with… elderflowers! The berries are very sweet and need to cooked to be consumed as raw elderberries are poisonous (so don’t go eating them raw).There are many different ways in which you can consume elderberries; they come in syrup, tablet and powder form (I prefer the syrups).
What are the benefits?
There are many fantastic health benefits in elderberries. Elderberries are packed with vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and antioxidants that help boost your immune system. It is clinically proven to prevent and ease symptoms of influenza quicker than traditional medicines. It also known to help ease the symptoms of allergies, amongst a list of other things.
Here a step-by-step guide on how to make your own elderberry syrup and keep flu out your homes this season!
What you will need:
Large pot
Large bowl
Nut bag (to strain the elderberries)
2 Mason jars/Containers
Ingredients:
2 cups of dried elderberries
4 cups of water
1 large thumb of organic ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup of organic honey
Directions:
1. Chop the ginger up into slices
2. Put the ginger, dried elderberries and cinnamon into the pot
3. Add all 4 cups of water to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it’s boiling, immediately turn the heat down to a simmer. Keep the pot mostly covered, with the lid slightly ajar.
4. Keep boiling until the water has gone down about half-way. This should take about 30 minutes.
5. Once the berries have cooled down enough, strain into the bowl using the nut bags.
6. Add the honey into the mason jar.
7. Pour the elderberry mixture into the mason jar and mix it all together.
8. Store in a fridge and use within a month.
I reccomend taking about 1-2 table spoons a day to keep the flu at bay!
For more information please see https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323288
