Meet your new best friend: ELDERBERRY

It’s important to boost your immune system throughout the year, especially during these colder months. The following recipe shows you how to make a natural immune support drink/syrup using elderberry. In my house, we use the honey as a mild sweetener and drink this beverage as an iced tea. I've found the iced tea version to be more kid friendly, and all the skeptics who give a side eye to foods that seem remotely good for them, love it and keep asking for more. 

Ingredients:

4 Tblsp. Dried Elderberries

3 ½ cups Boiled tea – include one immune boosting herbs (or you can use them all for a stronger brew):

• Echinacea 
• Goldenseal
• Astragulus
• Ashwagandha, or more elderberry

NOTE: If you can't get your hands on one of these herbs in time, green tea will do just fine

Flavored tea (I usually use black currant tea)

½ cup Raw, local honey

1 Tblsp. Juice of a lemon

¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)

¼ cup Rum (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In a pot, bring elderberries, herbal tea and black current tea to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow this blend to cool down just a tad, or 2-3 minutes, then add honey and stir. Then add lemon juice, apple cider vinegar (to make syrup alcohol-free for children); or rum. However, you can add both ACV and rum together if you like for added potency. Add or subtract ingredients (herbal/flavored tea or ACV/rum) as needed and based on what you have available. Bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 months. Take 1 tablespoon daily for best results, or as needed.

About Elderberries:

Elderberries grow wild in the U.S. and are most known for its ability to fight cold and flu virus. Research has proven that it is effective against the flu virus and helps speed up the healing process by 2-3 days. That said elderberries also are good for warding off bronchitis and excessive coughing.  As always, pay close attention to your body, just as there is no magic pill there is no such thing as a wonder herb, so still get plenty rest (to allow your body time to heal) and drink lots of fluids like water, orange juice or apple juice if you also have a scratchy throat. Consult your health care provider if your condition worsens.

*Children under 2-years-old should not consume honey