I am a big fan of taking herbs as food. Let’s be honest: how many of us endure long enough, when not sick, in taking any herbs as a preventative, just to straighten the immune, cardiovascular or reproductive systems? I am the first one to fail after a week or so.
But integrating herbal medicine into your food and not taking it as actual medicine but as pleasurable treat…well, most of us can do that!
Here is elderberry gummy recipe created by Rosalee de la Foret. Original recipe uses gelatin, but I managed to make mine vegan/vegetarian way. It is delicious and great way to administer herbs to your kids. You can make gummies with your kiddos and start teaching them herbal magic. Most of these herbs are antiviral and high in vitamin C, so will prevent colds and flues.
1/2 cup elderberries
1/4 cup cinnamon chips ( some sticks are easy to break in chips)
1/3 cup rose hips
2 tablespoons of licorice
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper (you won’t feel it in the final product)
4 cups of apple juice
4 tablespoons of agar agar flakes
or 3 tablespoons of gelatin
Put apple juice, elderberries, rose hips, cinnamon and licorice in a pot, bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes on low fire.
Cool it and strain, through a cloth or just by pressing the herbs in the strainer.
Put agar agar flakes and heat up again, until flakes melt. Pour into molds or other container and put in fridge to cool and harden.
Those don't come out so hard like commercial ones, but more like jelly. They are yummy and healthy!
When making them with gelatin, follow the instructions that come with gelatin.
Feel free to add your own magic, change the recipe and add some new herbs of your choice.