My favorite place to get herbs and spices is at Mountain Rose Herbs. They also sell containers and packaging materials, as well as bulk ingredients and containers for lipbalms, deodorants, glass bottles, and more. Check them out here.
Ingredients:
Herbs:
• 1 – 4oz. package of dried elderberries (Sambucus nigra)
• 5 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
Liquids:
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup honey
Supplies:
• A small saucepan
• Fine mesh strainer
Directions:
1. First put 1/2 cup of dried elderberries into the small saucepan. Add the 5 cloves, cinnamon stick, 1 Tablespoon grated ginger, and 2 cups of water.
2. Cover and bring the water to a boil.
3. Turn down the heat, leave covered, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by 1/2. This usually takes 20-30 minutes.
4. Strain into a bowl and add 1 cup of honey.
How to store your syrup:
Store the syrup in a closed jar in the refrigerator. Syrups have a relatively short shelf life. I generally make this in small batches and store it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
About Syrups:
A syrup is an herbal preparation made by adding honey (or other sweetener) to an herbal decoction or infusion. The plant constituents are pulled out into the water when making the infusion or decoction. The honey then adds another healing component to the preparation as well as making it delicious.
About Elderberry Syrup:
This syrup is especially helpful for those with colds or flu. The elderberry will assist with the healing while the added cinnamon, ginger and cloves will help the syrup to be warming and the honey adds an antibiotic quality, while also making the syrup soothing for sore throats and coughs. Take 1 tablespoon per hour during illness.
Elderberry syrup is also a wonderful preventative so you can take a few tablespoons of this syrup each day during cold and flu season to help avoid getting sick. Better yet, pour it over your pancakes and benefit from its health promoting properties while enjoying your breakfast.
Please do not give your honey cough syrup to a child under the age of one. Honey can contain spores that could lead to botulism in the very young until they have built up enough beneficial bacteria in their digestive tract to deal with the spores.
Personal Note:
I have also made this syrup without the ginger, cinnamon and cloves and have enjoyed it as well.