Instant Pot Elderberry-Echinacea Syrup

Between Mono and the Flu, I feel like my household has been inundated with viruses this year. And with the current threat of Covid-19, it looks like our battles with viruses are far from over. This year it feels like all I do is try to keep everyone well. It’s a daily battle of washing hands while singing the ABC’s, making sure everyone gets enough sleep, eating nourishing meals and giving everyone immune-boosting supplements. Some of the main supplements I give my family are elderberry and echinacea.

(Once again, I’d like to remind everyone that I am NOT a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, naturopath, herbalist or witch doctor. I am just a mom, sharing what I use to help my household. So, please keep that in mind and use your best judgement. It’s always worth checking with your doctor before trying any new herbal remedies or alternative medicines.)

Elderberry (or Sambucus)

We’ve been using Elderberry Syrup sporadically for 15 years, but really started guzzling it since the kids started elementary school. Elderberry has been used for thousands of years and is known for its superb antiviral properties. Recent studies have shown that it can even alleviate symptoms of the flu. Supposedly, it combats viruses in a number of different ways: it can keep the virus from entering the cells, and it can keep the virus from replicating, effectively shortening the duration of the infection.

So, when my youngest contracted Mono back in November, we started taking 2 tablespoons of the syrup, adding about 6-8 oz of water and then divvying that up among the four of us. We do that 2-3 times a day. Thus far, it’s working. The kids still bring home nasty viruses from school or the pediatrician’s office—that appears to be inevitable. But none of us seem to get any truly serious illnesses. And when the kids do get sick, the duration is short and the illness is relatively mild. I don’t know if it’s just their natural resiliency and their early bedtimes (goodness knows sleep always helps fight off illness), but I definitely do attribute some of their wellness to the Elderberry Syrup. From my experience, it seems to stop viruses in their tracks.

Echinacea

Recent studies have also shown that the combination of elderberry and echinacea can be as effective as Tamiflu at combating the flu. As a result, I have been giving the girls echinacea syrup whenever they are sick or a particularly nasty strain of illness seems to be going around.

Echinacea is awesome. A member of the daisy family, it’s a flowering plant that grows in the U.S. and Canada. It is called a coneflower due to its shape. According various to sources, it contains high amounts of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. The Native Americans have used it for hundreds of years. It boosts the immune system. I personally have used echinacea for everything from sinus infections, infections in ear-piercings, a particularly stubborn plantar wart, and a variety of colds, viruses and the flu—all to great effect.

However, it comes with several caveats: 1) some people are allergic to it (like my mom); 2) it is not recommended for anyone with an auto-immune disease; and 3) it is not meant for long term use. I can’t seem to find this info anywhere, but when I first started using it years ago, a Naturopath directed me to use it for two weeks on, then two weeks off. So, although I’ve read that it may be safe to take for up to 8 weeks at a time, personally I try not to take it for any longer than 10-14 days at a time.

Save Money by Making Elderberry & Echinacea Syrup in the Instant Pot

Looking at the bills, I have spent more than $85 in the past 3 months on just these two items: elderberry syrup and echinacea syrup. And truth be told, I would do it all again. You can’t put a price on health. But, that said, I started wondering if I could save some money by making it myself in my Instant Pot. And the answer is, YES, I can. After much internet research and a lot of trial and error, this is the recipe that I came up with:

Costs

When making this syrup, I bought both the dried elderberries and the dried echinacea on Amazon. At the time, the elderberries cost about $25 for a pound of organic dried elderberries. (I believe they are currently closer to $35 for the same bag due to the media frenzy.) This amount makes enough for about three batches of syrup. Normally, that would last my household several months. The dried echinacea cost about $15 for a pound when I bought it. A pound of echinacea goes a long, long, long way. I will be using that for several years. Aside from that, the only real cost is the honey. Raw, local honey would be ideal, but I didn’t have that currently available so I just bought 32 oz of raw honey on Amazon for about $9. (Please keep in mind that honey should never ever be given to infants younger than one year.) That’s enough to make approximately 3 batches of the syrup. So, total cost for a several month supply of syrup is about $50. That’s at least $35 less than buying it in the store or online.

Helpful Hints

I like to make two batches of syrup to keep in the fridge: one batch with elderberry and echinacea and one batch with just elderberry (skip the echinacea). That way, after two weeks of using the elderberrry-echinacea syrup, I can switch to the elderberry syrup for two weeks. This enables me to continue taking elderberry syrup without taking the echinacea for more than two weeks at a time.

One more thing, and then I will draw this post to its conclusion: we have found it helpful to water down the syrup when taking it. I mentioned earlier that we pour a couple tablespoons into a glass, mix it with warm water and then divide it amongst the four of us. This serves several purposes: 1) occasionally elderberry syrup can have a bit of a laxative effect (think prune juice) and watering it down helps avoid this; 2) the syrup is more palatable watered down; and 3) the bottle of syrup lasts longer when watered down.

That’s all she wrote. Good luck and stay healthy!

Sampson joining the photo-shoot. When I’m not taking pictures, these jars stay high up on a shelf in my pantry to keep them out of reach of kids and pets.