HERBAL GUMMIES IN THREE STEPS
It is barely mid-January and already my friends are getting hit with all sorts of bugs and yuck. Congestion, sore throat, dry cough, productive cough, achy body, fever… it seems to be a non-discriminatory cesspool of symptoms that is making everyone miserable. NO THANK YOU!
I decided to make some herbal gummies that would support my immune system while being fun to eat. In fact, they happen to be so much fun that I have to remind myself that they have powerful herbs in them and to not sit back and pop them like bonbons.
My recipe is a multi-step process, starting with making an elderberry cough syrup. You can keep it in the refrigerator and use it on its own if you need it. I also should mention that I use one of my tinctures which is alcohol based. If you need a glycerine-based product to use instead, there are plenty on the market to choose from. I won’t be offended if you don’t use mine. Also, the classic elderberry syrup recipe I use contains alcohol. Again, if you are abstaining from alcohol, you can buy over the counter elderberry cough syrups without alcohol and substitute that for my syrup in the gummy recipe.
So let’s get to it, shall we?
STEP 1: Ordering the Extras
TINCTURE
I put this as step one because whether you make your own tincture, order one from us, or order one from someone else, it will take time to ship. If you’d like to order ours, there’s a button below to do so. You’ll find this ingredient in Step 3.
MOLDS
You’ll also need time to shop for/order the silicone gummy molds. I bought mine at Michaels (no endorsement or affiliation) and went to the sale rack to choose a style. Just be sure it is food-grade and check the actual dimensions of the mold itself. I have bought some really cute molds only to find out they are W-A-Y too small or large for their intended purpose only after they arrived.
While you are waiting, you can go ahead and make your elderberry syrup (Step 2), as it stores in the refrigerator and will wait for you to be ready.
STEP 2: The Elderberry Syrup
2 cups Dried Elderberries
4 cups Water, cold
3 tsp Ginger Root, dried, powdered
1 Ceylon Cinnamon Stick
1 cup Raw Honey, local is best
1 cup Vodka*
1 Large Cooking Pot, not copper or aluminum
1 Spoon, I use wooden
1 Strainer, fine mesh

- Combine berries, water, cinnamon, and ginger in a large pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let it steep for at least an hour.
- When it is just cool enough, add the honey and stir until it is dissolved.
- Note: The honey amount should be half the reserve liquid amount for preservation purposes.
- Once the honey is dissolved, add the vodka*. This will also work as a preservative.
- Finally, once everything is cool, strain out the bits into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator
- I like to find beautiful bottles at thrift stores for my own personal products (not ones I sell!).
- I am always careful to thoroughly wash and sterilize these bottles to avoid any “yuck” getting into my herbal potions.
*NOTE ABOUT THE VODKA
I have a beautiful and bountiful cherry tree in the Glitter Witch Gardens. Every year, people from all over my neighborhood stop by to pick these sour cherries. In fact, people pull over while driving by just to get some! I finally had to put a sign up, asking people to take what they wanted, but please be careful with the branches as not to damage the tree. The tree itself is tall, so there is plenty for the fauna to enjoy as well (and they do).
Last spring, I soaked three quart jars full of sour cherries in vodka and left them to soak over the summer. On Samhain, I strained the jars and saved the potion for cocktails and such. The cherries themselves were used in Yule pies and tarts.
Now that you know the back story, you’ll know why I like to use this in place of plain vodka for my elderberry syrup – it lends a nice flavor and a feeling of my tree’s essence to the syrup. See how working with plants can build on each other over time?
STEP 2: The Gummies
1 cup Pomegranate Juice, not cocktail
5 TBSP Lemon Juice, or 1 whole lemon squeezed
3 TBSP Gelatin, I use grass-fed beef gelatin
¼ cup Raw Honey, local is best
1 TBSP Elderberry Syrup, CLICK HERE for recipe
3 ml Inner Warrior Sparkle, aka 3 droppers full
Silicone Molds Food Grade, CLICK HERE for Info.
1 Spoon, I use wooden
1 Double-Boiler Pot, inner pot with lip is best
- In your double boiler, mix juices and gelatin.
- Add honey, elderberry syrup, and Inner Warrior Sparkle.
- Wisk all the ingredients together until they have a goopy (technical term – ha!) consistency.
- Turn on the heat and continue to wisk until your goopy ingredients warm up and become liquid. Just warm – don’t overheat.
- Pour the liquid into your silicone molds and let it sit for 15 minutes to cool down.
- Some people like to pour any foam or bubbles off the top of the liquid. It doesn’t bother me, so I don’t bother.
- Put your molds in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then pop them out and put them in a glass container or jar.
- Store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (if they last that long!).

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