Stay healthy this cold and flu season with homemade sugar free elderberry gummies. Made with absolutely no sugar, flavorful spices and powerful dried elderberries, these gummies are a great way to boost your immune system and your kids too!
Mary Poppins seemed to know what she was talking about when she said: “just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, in a most delightful way”. People like tasty, sweet things! Especially when you’re talking about kiddos. When you take a pill, an herb, a teaspoon of cough syrup or eat any nutritious food, you expect it to taste good. You don’t want to have to hold your breath and cringe as you swallow some horrible concoction in the hopes that it’ll do the trick and make you right as rain.
It’s much more pleasant to take medicine when it tastes delicious.
Us adults, most of us I should say, can man up and take the icky stuff because we know it will help ward off a nasty virus. But there is no convincing a small child that they must take this homemade remedy to cure what ills them. While you can hide herbs in smoothies and applesauce, why not turn the herbs into the star of the show and present them in the form of a gummy? I don’t know any kid who doesn’t like a good fruit snack.
Elderberry gummies are a simple and tasty way to get immune boosting properties into kids and adult alike. And instead of throwing in additives or high amounts of sugar into the gummy, why not sweeten them with apple juice?
No sugar. Antiviral. Easy to make. Kids love them. Those all sound like wins in my book! You’re going to love this recipe for sugar free elderberry gummies!
What are Elderberries?
Elderberries are small, deep purple berries that come from the elder tree. The tree is known to grow in North America, Southwest Asia and Europe. The flowers are tiny and cream colored while the leaves are oblong shaped with serrated edges. The leaves, berries and flowers are medicinal. Traditionally elderberries have been used to treat cold and flus but they have also been known to help soothe and heal irritated skin when applied externally in the form of a poultice or salve.
How to Use Elderberries?
There are a variety of ways to use elderberries. Elderberry syrup is one of the most common ways to consume elderberry. Some people enjoy making elderberry tea while others put them into homemade jam. Adding them into elderberry gummies is an excellent way to get kids to eat it.
Benefits of Elderberry Syrup
- Superb for colds and flus
- Good for fevers
- Boosts immune system
- Antiviral
- Helps improve seasonal allergies
- Contains antibiotic properties
How Many Elderberry Gummies Should You Eat?
Depending on how large the silicone mold is that you decide to use to make the gummies, I recommend taking about 3 gummies per day for adults. Children should take 1-2 gummies daily. I do not suggest giving herbs to kids that are under two years old unless you get in touch with a professional practitioner.
Video Tutorial on How to Make Elderberry Gummies
Immune Support Gummies
Fight off nasty bugs during the winter months with a dose of immune supporting elderberry gummies. No sugar added. Made with homemade elderberry syrup, apple juice and gelatin. A great way to help kids and adults alike to stay healthy.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. In any case, I only link to products we actually use on our homestead and that I believe can truly benefit to you. See my full disclosure here.
Makes: 130 gummies (depending on the mold you use)
Elderberry Syrup
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup dried elderberries
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Tools
Fine mesh strainer
Cheesecloth
Storage container
How to Make Elderberry Syrup
In a saucepan over medium heat add the water, elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 30-45 minutes until the liquid has reduced by at least half. You should have about 3/4-1 cup of syrup when finished.
Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Crush berries to release any excess liquid.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Line strainer with a piece of cheesecloth. Pour liquid through cloth, pressing the berries as you go.
Pour syrup into a jar. Store elderberry syrup in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Elderberry Gummy
Ingredients
3/4 cup elderberry syrup
1 1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
3 tablespoons gelatin
Tools
How to Make Elderberry Gummies
Pour apple juice concentrate into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, add the elderberry syrup to a bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over top and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
Add hot apple juice to gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Pour mixture into small silicone molds. Place elderberry gummy’s into the fridge to set, approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the gummies from the mold and enjoy! Refrigerate extras.
Dosing: 3 gummies for adults, daily or 1-2 gummies per day for children over two years old.
Note: If you do prefer to use store-bought elderberry syrup, you can skip making your own. Do note that many commercially made syrups often include sugar, such as fructose, honey or coconut sugar, so your gummies may not turn out completely sugar free if you purchase a syrup that includes a sweetener.
More Ways to Stay Healthy
How to Create a Natural Medicine Cabinet
Sugar Free Elderberry Gummies
Stay healthy this cold and flu season with homemade sugar free elderberry gummies. Made with absolutely no sugar, flavorful spices and powerful dried elderberries, these gummies are a great way to boost your immune system and your kids too!
Ingredients
- Elderberry Syrup
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 2/3 cup dried elderberries
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- Elderberry Gummy
- 3/4 cup elderberry syrup
- 1 1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
- 3 tablespoons gelatin
Instructions
How to Make Elderberry Syrup
- In a saucepan over medium heat add the water, elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 30-45 minutes until the liquid has reduced by at least half. You should have about 3/4-1 cup of syrup when finished.
- Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Crush berries to release any excess liquid.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Line strainer with a piece of cheesecloth. Pour liquid through cloth, pressing the berries as you go.
- Pour syrup into a jar. Store elderberry syrup in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
How to Make Elderberry Gummies
- Pour apple juice concentrate into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, add the elderberry syrup to a bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over top and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
- Add hot apple juice to gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Pour mixture into small silicone molds. Place elderberry gummy’s into the fridge to set, approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the gummies from the mold and enjoy! Refrigerate extras.
Dosing: 3 gummies for adults, daily or 1-2 gummies per day for children over two years old.
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