If you would have told me two months ago that I would create a new business selling homemade health & wellness products, I would not have believed you. But yet, here we are. As many of you know, I am VERY passionate about natural medicine and prefer to use what God gave us in nature when we are sick before resorting to modern medicine (Yes, I know there is a time and a place for modern medicine). Because of this, I figured it was a good idea to share what I am so passionate about with others so they could reap the benefits for their family as well!
For more info as to what I make and how to order, check out my Matties Medicinals page!
After reading THIS and seeing how beneficial elderberries could be as an immune booster and to prevent cold & flu, I decided to make some Elderberry Syrup for our family to try. I also knew I could make it for so much cheaper than it was to buy it locally. The prices were just so expensive! It really isn’t that expensive to make as long as you can find elderberries (which are super hard to find for an affordable price at the moment, btw). So I decided I might as well try selling it as well even if it was only to friends and family. I didn’t want to charge the high prices that the locals around here charge either. I know the elderberry syrup may be worth the high prices because of the hard work that goes into making it as well finding the ingredients, but I just couldn’t justify the high cost. I also knew if I couldn’t afford it then there are others in the same boat and I wanted to make sure they were able to buy some at a more reasonable price as well!
Thus, Matties Medicinals was created to sell my homemade health & wellness products at affordable prices. I currently sell homemade Organic Elderberry Syrup locally but also sell DIY Organic Elderberry Syrup Kits so you can make it yourself. I decided to offer the kits since they are easily shipped and don’t require refrigeration so people from all over the US can order them. It’s also another affordable way to get elderberry syrup since the kits cost much less since I don’t have to make the syrup itself. All you need is water and honey and you can have your own elderberry syrup in no time!
Give my Facebook page a “like” and order some kits HERE! I will be offering additional homemade and family-approved medicinals in the future so stay tuned!
How to Make Elderberry Syrup- A Step-by-Step Tutorial
This is for those who have a kit and love more detailed instructions!
- Add water and the contents of your kit to a saucepan. The amount of water will depend on what size kit you have. A small kit will need 2 cups and a large will need 4 cups.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. This is important since elderberries have to be heated for at least 45 minutes or they can actually make you sick.
- Turn off the heat and let cool until it is easy to handle.
- Mash berries with a spoon to release all the juices.
- Put a strainer over a bowl and pour your elderberry syrup mixture through strainer. Then I use a rubber spatula to press and squeeze as much juice out of the berries as possible.
- Discard berries. When your elderberry syrup mixture is cooled to about room temperature (you don’t want it hot or it will affect the antibacterial properties of the honey), mix in honey according to your kit amounts. Small kits will use ½ cup of honey and large kits will use 1 cup. I use raw local honey from Coplin Bee Farms which is literally the street over from our home. Read about the amazing benefits of raw local honey HERE. You can always use maple syrup or another similar sweetener instead of honey if you want to make this safe for children under 1 year.
- Pour into a container of your choice. Voila! You just made elderberry syrup! The large kit makes about 32 oz or 4 cups and the small kit will make about 16 oz or 2 cups. Refrigerate for up to 6 months! I have also heard of some people freezing it and just scooping out their dosage so it’s like a slushy mixture.
Dosage: Children 1+: 1 tsp. Adults: 1 Tbsp. For prevention, take a few days a week. When ill: Take every 2-3 hours.
For those who are curious, I use the Wellness Mama’s recipe but also add a little turmeric since it has some amazing benefits. Read about the benefits of turmeric HERE! My kids love taking this stuff and, at one point, even my four year-old was trying to convince me that she was sick so she could have more.
We’ll see where this business ends up going but I’m excited to be able to contribute some to paying for Christmas presents for the kids and the hubby as well as some other things they need. Less stress on the hubby means less stress for me and I’m so thankful for the wonderful customers I have had so far to get me started!
