Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product to review, and all of the opinions (and recipe) are mine 🙂
Elderberries are magical little berries.
In addition to tasting great, they have been used medicinally for hundreds of years. A 2001 study showed that consumption of black elderberry extract shortened the duration of flu symptoms by 3-4 days. Elderberry extract was shown to significantly increase production of inflammatory cytokines, which activates the immune system. The study also suggested that elderberries may have an immunoprotective or immunostimulatory effect that could help cancer or AIDS patients. 1
In fact, Elderberry juice contains higher levels of anti-oxidants than Sweet Cherry, Tart Cherry, Acai, Noni, Goji, Pomegranate and Cranberry juices. One 1-ounce serving contains 60% of your RDA of Vitamin C.
That’s why when I happened to get sick, for the second time in a month, I was very grateful that NormsFarms sent me their Elderberry Juice to try out.
The daily recommended dose of Elderberry Juice for health benefits is 2 teaspoons of juice per day. I decided to enjoy my juice by making a fresh smoothie for breakfast!
Here’s what you need:
- 6 oz greek yogurt
- 6 strawberries, tops removed
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp elderberry juice
- 1 cup ice
Here’s how to do it:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, about 60 seconds. Add more ice, if necessary.
If you’re looking for Elderberry Juice, I highly recommend NormsFarms! They have high-quality ingredients and specialize in all things elderberries!
This looks and sounds delicious! I love elderberries and have written a book about them (Elderberries: The Beginner’s Guide to Foraging, Preserving and Using Elderberries for Health Remedies, Recipes, Drinks & More). They grow wild all over the United States, Canada, Europe and beyond so they’re quite easy to gather from the wild once you know how to find them. To make the juice, simply cover the fresh berries with water, bring to a boil and simmer, then press and strain. You can use that juice for jellies, wines, drinks like these, and more. I can it and make things like elderberry lemonade all year long. You can’t go wrong with anything elderberry. 🙂
So yummy . . . makes my mouth water. I can’t wait for a summer harvest of elderberries. I have one large bush, two that I put in last year and I am ordering one more to plant this spring.
Fresh elderberries sound delicious!