Yummy Elder Berry Gummies

Elder berry syrup is not popular in my household. I had to come up with an alternative that my girls would like. Shall I say love, because to them these gummies are almost like candy. This recipes makes a lot, enough for weeks if you can keep them from growing mold and bacteria. Microbes love gelatin as food so past a week could be risky. I have not tried freezing these yet as an option for long term storage. I give each kid one a day as as part of a preventative strategy for all the flu and respiratory infections going around right now. My girls will be done with some virus in 48 hours but the adults in the house will take weeks to recover. I am very invested in making sure they do not get sick.

Elder Berry Gummies Recipe

Makes 20-40 gummies depending on the size of your silicon molds.

Grind 1 cup of dried elder berries in a coffee grinder until it looks like coffee grounds.

Place the powder in a saucepan with 2 cups of filtered water. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Filter out the liquid with a strainer lined with cheesecloth (you could also use a coffee filter or press). Discard the wet powder residue. Better yet compost it.

Return the purple liquid to the pan and stove. On very low heat whisk in 3/4 cup of organic raw honey until it dissolves.

Slowly pour in 4 TBSP of gelatin/3 packets (you may not get as good of results using a vegetarian substitute). Whisk not letting it clump until is dissolves. Remove pan from heat. Add enough cool liquid to bring your amount to 2 cups, and whisk well until clear.

Grease your molds with a bit of oil that does not have a strong taste.

Place your silicon molds onto a baking sheet. Fill your molds.

Refrigerate for several hours until set.

The gummies should release and pop out easily. If not you can flip the mold over and run it under hot water for a few seconds. Obviously you want to make sure that the gummies do not get wet or fall onto a dirty surface like your sink.

Elder berries are powerful plant. I prefer the species Sambucus nigra for my fomulas. The berries are thought to be good for pain and inflammation. They have been used to treat tumors, digestive issues, asthma, fever, allergies, headaches, and sore throat. In Chinese medicine elder dries dampness and clears heat. The berries make a good tonic that restores and rejuvenates. They encourages the body to release toxins through fevers and urination.  Elderberry juice and syrup has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of colds and flus because elder is thought to block viruses from penetrating cell membranes. The fruit is commonly used in pies, preserves, syrups and desserts because of their flavor, high mineral and vitamin content.

What is your favorite thing to make with elder berries?