Easy Elderberry Juice

Elderberries are all the rage lately when it comes to natural preventatives and treatments for the cold and flu. Many medical journals are even acknowledging the benefits this tiny little berry can offer. While their ability to combat blood pressure, blood sugar, depression, water retention, and pain- ranging from dental to sciatic, is currently being debated, the evidence suggesting that using elderberry juice or syrup at the early signs of a cold or flu can greatly reduce the duration is becoming accepted. Elderberry products are now not only available online, but are also normally at your local drugstore. While this is definitely a great place to start, the cost, at times, can seem prohibitive. I would like to show you a simple way to make your own elderberry juice and it only requires one ingredient.

It is very important that you use a reputable source for your elderberries. I purchase mine dried and organic from a company on Amazon. (I have provided an affiliate link below to the exact ones that I use.) While you can use fresh berries, the quantities are different. You must make sure that you only have berries in this, meaning no leaves, no stems, no twigs.

The next step will be to add the berries to your pan, with 1-2 quarts of water. (Sometimes, I make it stronger, especially during cold and flu season.)

Uncooked elderberries have an amount of cyanide in them. It would take a huge amount to actually kill a person, but if they are undercooked, they can definitely give you nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Make sure to cook these correctly.

After adding the berries to your pan with the water, bring the water up to a rapid boil. Stand with them, and stir for a couple minutes. Then, reduce the heat, and allow them to simmer for 45 minutes. (Do not cover the pot.) Also, at this point, the berries and juice will stain anything they touch, including your skin, so be careful.

After your liquid has cooled, securely fasten your cheesecloth over a container, and begin to strain your liquid through it. (Placing too many berries on top at a time can cause a deep-purple disaster so be careful!) You can also press the berries to get more juice from them, or even squeeze the cheesecloth once finished.

Yes, I am paranoid, and I double strain the liquid, as I am funneling it into the bottles.
Once finished, secure the lid, and place in the refrigerator.

Easy Elderberry Juice

1 Cup Dried Elderberries
1-2 Quarts Water
1 Cup Honey (Optional)

Place one cup of dried elderberries into pan with 1-2 quarts of water. Bring to a rapid boil. Stir for a couple minutes, then reduce heat, and allow to simmer for 45 minutes. Water should reduce to approximately 1/2 the original amount.
(You can add a cup of honey at this point if you choose to sweeten yours.)
Allow mixture to cool. Then, cover a large mixing bowl securely with the cheesecloth, and slowly strain berries from liquid. Once finished, you can transfer the liquid into a glass bottle for storage in refrigerator.
Make sure not to make too much at a time. I try to make what I can use in approximately 2 weeks.
I take approximately 1 ounce a day as a preventative, and 1 ounce 3x a day if I am sick.

(These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these, I may receive a small commission.)