whew! is it just me or was that a looooooong title? 😂 I couldn’t bring myself to trim it down though, because all of those parts are necessary to express JUST how great this stuff is. seriously, it rules.
have you ever smelled elderberries?? they smell like raspberry dark chocolate to me! 🤤 I always figured that they would smell, you know, herbal. (which in my opinion is just a nice word for ‘it smells bad but it works, ok???’ maybe that’s just the case with oils…) at any rate, I was utterly taken with these tiny berries the minute I first laid eyes, er— nose on them.

in herbal medicine, black elderberries are hailed for their cold & flu alleviating properties. they’re chock full of tonnnns of antioxidants & nutrients & something sciency called sambucol that give them their flu-fighting power. studies have literally proven that they can cut down the cold & flu by DAYS. literal days! but taking elderberry daily even when you’re not sick can give you the extra boost your body needs to help stay healthy& fight it off in the first place. 💪

this elderberry syrup is a delicious way to take care of your health! adding in young living vitality oils only makes it that just more potent. 😎

Elderberry Syrup with Young Living Vitality Oils

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried European elderberries*

• 1-1/2 cups raw, local honey OR 3/4 cup organic maple syrup

• 1 tsp organic whole cloves

• 4 cups purified water

• 3 drops thieves vitality

• 3 drops orange vitality

• 2 drops nutmeg vitality

• 1 drop cinnamon bark vitality

Instructions

• bring water to a boil then add in your elderberries & whole cloves.

• simmer for around 30 minutes or until it’s been reduced by about half.

• remove from heat & let cool until it’s juuuuust warm enough to melt the honey. (this took about an hour for mine)

• strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve & then add in your honey & essential oils. stir until combined.

• pour in a glass mason jar & toss in the fridge!

adults: take 1 tsp daily
kids: take 1/2 tsp daily

*I buy organic, fair-trade herbs for my apothecary in bulk from frontier co-op. it saves money & is far more sustainable than buying in small packages from big chain stores! this is a great option if you’re into herbalism like I am or if you just want to buy your herbs, spices, & loose leaf teas in bulk.