How To Make Elderberry Gummies
I know that Elderberries have been all the rage, but I’m not someone who just typically leans into something because the masses are. However, when it’s something that can potentially protect my family’s health, I’ll always take the time to research the risk and benefits to see if it’s worth our time before diving in.
There weren’t many reasons I could come up with to not add elderberry syrup into our daily routine. Elderberries are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that boost your immune system. They also help tame inflammation, lessen stress and help protect your heart, too. The best part? They can help prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms. I’m sold!
That being said, I wasn’t really thrilled with the thought of having to down syrup daily, so I thought I’d make it a little fun for everyone and turn them into gummies. Or dinosaurs, in our case.
If you search Elderberry gummies on Pinterest, a million recipes come up. I sifted through A TON to find the easiest, least involved recipe and ended up with an adaptation of multiple recipes. I want to be healthy, I always love the idea of making something at home vs. buying something packaged, but let’s be real…I have zero extra time, therefore whatever it is I’m trying to do better be straightforward, simple and not take a ton of time. The recipe I came up with is just that. So, I thought I’d share my recipe with you. Enjoy!
Stovetop Elderberry Syrup Recipe
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- prep time: 10 mins
- cook time: 20 mins
- total time: 30 mins
Supplies:
– - Medium Sauce Pan
- Spoon
- Fine Mesh Strainer
Ingredients:
–
4 cups water
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, dried elderberries, cinnamon sticks, and 1" piece of ginger (if you're using it)
- Heat this mixture on medium heat until it begins to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid.
- Simmer for about 1 hour, while stirring occasionally, until the syrup is reduced by about half.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Pour the syrup through a strainer into a glass bowl. Use the back of a spoon to squeeze any remaining juice out of the berries and discard the elderberries.
- Add the honey and stir until it dissolves into the mixture.
If you're just going to take the syrup daily and don't care to turn it into gummies, this is when you would pour the strained elderberry syrup into a jar, add a lid, and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For longer storage, freeze syrup in ice cube trays and thaw whenever you need them.
To turn the syrup into gummies:
What You'll need:
1/2 cup water
1 cup of your elderberry syrup
1/4 cup gelatin
silicone molds (these are the ones I have)
- Heat 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan until hot (but not boiling).
- Put 1 cup elderberry syrup in a large bowl and gradually sprinkle 1/4 cup gelatin on top. While gradually sprinkling the gelatin on the elderberry syrup, gently stir with a fork to combine, just enough to moisten the powder.
- Let the gelatin sit for a minute until it starts to gel slightly.
- Add the hot water to your gelatin/syrup mixture and whisk together until well-mixed and gelatin has fully dissolved.
- Using a small dropper (that comes with the silicone molds that I purchased), carefully drop your liquid into each mold.
- Refrigerate approx. 1-2 hours or until firm.
- Remove gummies from molds and place in an airtight container.
Storage:
I store ours in a glass mason jar, where they'll stay fresh for 2 weeks. I store my leftover syrup in a plastic tupperware container in our deep freezer so that it's ready to make more gummies when we're ready.
Suggested Use:
Children over 1 year of age can take 1/2—1 teaspoon a day of the syrup or 1 gummy a day (do not give to children under 1 because the recipe contains honey). Adults can take 1 tablespoon per day of the syrup, or 2 gummies per day, depending on your mold as a preventative, and increase to every 2-3 hours if you feel an illness coming on.
These are the amounts that we personally use.