Elderberry Juice
Our fresh and frozen berries are perfect for juicing. Just thaw the frozen berries prior to juicing. We wrap the berries in cheesecloth and give them a good squeeze or use a juicer.
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The juice can be heated to 180F to eliminate any risk of upset stomach. Honey, water, spices, lemon juice, or citric acid can be added as well.
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The University of Missouri did a study on Elderberries that showed that Sambucus canadensis, American Elderberry, does not contain a significant concentration of cyanogenic glycosides (a derivative of cyanide that causes upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea). European elderberry, Sambucus nigra was found to contain high amounts of the cyanogenic glycosides making it necessary for imported berries to be cooked prior to consumption.
Caution should still be used if you ingest our elderberries raw as some people are more sensitive to this toxin. To remove any toxins present, slowly heat the freshly squeezed juice.
Dosage
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As with most natural remedies, dosage is not set in stone. In medicine, concentration is very important when establishing the dosage and in elderberry products, there is great variation of concentration. In general, it is recommended that adults take 1 TBSP every 2 hours while experiencing cold/flu like symptoms. For children, the dosage is 1 tsp every 2 hours. The frequency is important as studies have shown that elderberry leaves your body within 2 hours of entering it.
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To learn more about how elderberries aid your body in fighting of viruses, visit our page about health benefits.
Children and Elderberries
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It can be tough to get your kid to drink their elderberry juice without making their entire face purple, as well as their clothing, the floor, and your hands. A couple things that have made our toddlers ask for more elderberry:
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1. leave out the spices (cinnamon, cloves, etc,) simple elderberry with honey tastes delicious
2. use a syringe to add it to an applesauce pouch (works great if you already put the spices in)
3. add it to their milk, baby food, juice, or yogurt (especially useful for littles ones who are too young to consume honey).
*we recommend giving children cooked berries only as their tiny tummies tend to be more sensitive.