On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, immune boosters with elderberry!

Elderberry, or sambucus, is an old world plant. Originating in Europe, it now grows in many other countries, including the US, near farmland and at the edges of forests. It has a long history of medicinal use for the cold & flu and a popular topic in recent years.

In the home, it has become common once again to use elderberry syrup, supplements, or gummies to ward off seasonal maladies. There is a significant amount of vitamin C found, B6 & potassium found in the berries. All of these are helpful in building the immune system to protect from infection, but they are also useful in shortening the length of an illness.

Just because it is healthy, doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious too! We like to use our homemade syrups in oatmeal as a sweetener or pancakes. I love a teaspoon or 2 in a glass of sparkling water. Homemade elderberry is jelly is rich and delicious & on my list to make more of this winter. It has been made into wines, liqueurs & cordials for centuries. Gummies sure are a great way to get your vitamins too! They are very easy to make and fun with the kids! I do usually keep them refrigerated after making them, just to extend the life, but it isn’t necessary. Here is a link below to the recipe I used and also one of my favorite blogs to follow, you should really check it out! Enjoy your elderberry gummies!!

Homemade Elderberry Gummies (made with elderberry syrup) (growforagecookferment.com)