ELDERBERRY SYRUP AND LOSENGES
FOR THE SYRUP
Ingredients:
1.5 cups dried Elderberries 1 cup sugar or Honey
4 pints water Large stock pot or canner
Directions:
In a medium pot add together the Elderberries, the sugar, and the water. Bring to a boil.
Simmer the ingredients until they are reduced by half, or 50%.
Pour the syrup into sterilized pint canning jars and seal. You can decant the pints of syrup into 2, 4, or 8 oz. dropper bottles for use.
Process the jars for 20 minutes in a water bath or canner. If not processed - REFRIGERATE!!!
Homemade Herbal Cough Drops [Wellness Mama]
Prep time 20 mins Cook time 30 mins Total time 50 mins
Ingredients
- 1 cup of water infused with herbs. (Can use: ELDERBERRY, slippery elm, coltsfoot, cinnamon, and chamomile)
- 1.5 cups of honey (I use raw, organic honey from here)
- A candy thermometer (not necessary but very helpful!)
- a medium size sauce pan
- Silicon candy molds (not needed but helpful)
Instructions
- Boil 2 cups of water and infuse with desired herbs. I used about ¼ cup of each herb for a really potent cough drop, but as little as 1 tablespoon of each herb is effective. To infuse: Pour boiling water over herbs. I put herbs in a muslin bag to make straining easier. Let steep for 20 minutes and strain out herbs (or remove bag).
- Pour 1 cup of the herb infused water and 1.5 cups of honey into a medium saucepan and turn on medium high heat. (save the extra liquid and mix with equal parts raw honey for a simple cough syrup)
- Stir the honey/herb mixture over medium high heat until it reaches 300 degrees. If you don't have a candy thermometer, this usually takes about 30 minutes and can be tested by dropping a drop of the mixture in to ice water to see if it immediately hardens. It should harden to the point that it breaks if dropped on the counter. You can also tell because the mixture will start to foam and separate. At this point, it is vital to remove it from the heat quickly so it does not burn.
- Pour into candy molds, or pour into a large baking sheet that has been greased with coconut oil or that has a silicon baking mat on it.
- Let cool until it can be touched and molded and immediately and quickly form into lozenges with your hands (you might need help to do this quickly enough).
- Put finished cough drops/lozenges on a silicon mat or piece of parchment paper to cool.
- When completely cool, I toss in a mixture of powdered slippery elm and stevia to keep from getting sticky in humidity.
- Use as needed for coughing, congestion or sore throat.
Any herbs can be used. I picked the combination above to help sooth coughing, congestion and sore throat while boosting the immune system. You can find dried Elderberries at local Herb shops, or online at Mountain Rose Herbs and your favorite online source. Using ORGANIC berries ascertains that the berries are not GMO.
[Thank you, Wellness Mama]