During the time my kids are in school, they get this every single day with their morning “vitamin” juice. Us parents take shots of this.  It’s a huge immune booster and I sincerely believe has been key to my kids not getting sick at school in the past year.

Studies that show benefits of elderberry syrup and colds/flus/sinus infections: 
Pub Med Study #1
Pub Med Study #2
PMC Study #3
BioMedCentral Study #4

Ingredients:

• 3.5 cups of filtered water
• 2/3 cup Organic black elderberry or dried elderberries.
• 2 tsp of raw organic ginger root (or ginger powder if you are in a pinch)
• 1 tsp of cinnamon or 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp of cloves
• 2 tbsp of raw whole peppercorns (good for respiratory health)
• Optional: 1 tsp of Oregano
• Optional: 1 tsp of Turmeric root or powder
• Optional: 1 tsp of echinacea
• Optional: 2 crushed garlic cloves  (I do this all the time but some kids don’t like)
• 1/2-1 cup of Raw unfiltered honey
• 2 tbsp of Organic powdered Vitamin C. (to be added at the very end with the honey)

Here’s another place that has elderberries in case Amazon runs out. Florida Herb House

Steps:

0. Sanitize the mason jar you will be using to pour the elderberry juice into.
1. Pour water into a medium sauce pan and add elderberries, cinnamon, cloves, ginger root, turmeric, oregano, echinacea, peppercorns & garlic
2. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the liquid has been reduced by almost half. Stirring occasionally. (I have found that if you don’t the elderberries stick to the bottom).
3. Pour through a strainer into a glass mason jar. Squeeze the elderberries through the strainer to get as much liquid out as possible.
4. Let the juice cool down to room temperature and then add 1/2-1 cup of honey and stir. I found that 1/2 was sufficient but some like it a little sweeter.
4a. If you are making some for a baby not yet 1 year of age, do all of the above and save a small amount in a tincture bottle for the baby without any honey.
5. Add 2 tbsp of raw vitamin C and stir very well.
6. Put into a tincture bottle for yourself and family and remainder kept in the mason jar in the fridge. (Make sure to shake the jars before use as the key immune boosting ingredients tend to sink to the bottom)

Enjoy!

How to administer to a toddler:

Put it on a piece of toast
Put it in applesauce
Give directly on a spoon w/cod liver oil
Put it in yogurt
Make it into a drink for them
Add to their daily vitamin cup/bottle

How to administer to a baby:

Take a small syringe and slowly squeeze on the inside of the cheek. Start with 1.5ml