4 cups cold water (distilled, purified, or spring water works best)
2-3 tsp ginger root
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup raw honey or manuka honey if you can get it
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup cognac (can be omitted)
Directions
Combine berries and herbs with cold water in pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and allow herbs to simmer 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove from heat and let steep 1 hour.
Strain berries and herbs using a funneloverlaid with doubled cheesecloth or undyed cotton muslin bag and squeeze out liquid (careful, liquid will likely still be hot!). Discard used herbs in compost.
Once liquid has cooled to just above room temperature, add honey and stir to incorporate.
If using cognac, add here and stir until well combined.
Bottle in sterilized glass and store in the refrigerator.
Pro tips:
Be sure to add honey in a ratio that is at least half of the total volume of liquid after it has simmered. This amount can change slightly, and you want to make sure you have enough preservative (honey) so that your syrup won't spoil. (Example: If you are left with 2 cups of elderberry decoction, you will want to add at least 1 cup of honey.)
This recipe is easy to multiply if you’d like to make a big batch to store or give as gifts (glass pantry jars and amber bottlesare great choices!). My family enjoys a teaspoon or two of this syrup, right out of the fridge, just about every day during the sniffle season.
