Elderberry Tonic

🫐 These potent and wonderful berries have been used for centuries for keeping humans healthy. They have so much goodness within them, and the bonus is they taste good as well!

🌳 A little about Elderberry

Elder (Sambucus nigra) is a small tree that grows all over Europe, including right here in Italy, where its frothy white flowers turn into clusters of tiny dark purple berries in late summer. It’s been called “the medicine chest of the country people”, and Hippocrates himself wrote about it!

The berries are naturally rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins, the deep purple antioxidants that give them their colour, and elderberry syrup has long been a traditional winter tonic.

🍯 Elderberry Tonic Recipe

– 1 cup of dried elderberries
– 3 cups of water
– ¾ cup of raw honey
– A squirt of Cordyceps medicinal mushroom extract (I particularly like this one, but all medicinal mushrooms are huge adaptogens for all over health and wellbeing)
– dōTERRA Ginger, Frankincense, On Guard and Lemon oils (approx. 2 to 3 drops each)

👩‍🍳 How to make it, step by step

1. Add the elderberries and water to a saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by about half.
3. Mash the berries with a potato masher to release all the goodness.
4. Strain through a fine sieve or cloth, squeezing out as much juice as you can.
5. Let it cool until just warm (not hot, to protect the goodness in the raw honey).
6. Stir in the honey, mushroom extract and oils until dissolved.
7. Pour into a clean, airtight glass jar and store in the fridge.

It keeps beautifully in the fridge for months.

🥄 How we use it

– A tablespoon quite often as a preventative, especially through the cooler months
– More often when you need extra support to get back to wellness
– Added as a boost to juices, smoothies and yoghurt or fruit snacks

⚠️ A few notes

Always cook elderberries! Raw or unripe berries, and the leaves and stems, can make you quite sick, so stick to dried berries from a good supplier and simmer them as above. Honey isn’t suitable for babies under 12 months, and if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication (especially for the immune system), check with your health practitioner first.