Fermented Elderberry Honey

The days are getting shorter and colder- fermented elderberry and honey is a great one to have around during cold and flu season– both the honey and the elderberries are powerful anti-virals. The taste is so comforting too- like having a warm cuddle in a drink!

Equipment
• Clean glass jar 
• Sieve
Ingredients
• 1 cup ripe elderberries
• 1-1.5 cups raw honey
Instructions
1. Put the elderberries into jar, then add the honey to cover the berries leaving at least 3 to 4 centimeters space at the top of the jar.
2. Cap the jar with a plastic storage lid and invert the jar for about 30 minutes or longer to make sure that all of the elderberries are coated with honey.
3. Turn the jar upright again. After the elderberries and honey have settled and all of the air bubbles are gone you may need to add a bit more honey to cover the berries.
4. Loosen the lid to allow air to escape during fermentation and place the jar somewhere out of the way. For the first 2-3 days it is helpful to invert the jar daily then turn it upright again. Be sure to tighten the lid before inverting then loosen again once upright. 
5. Within about 2-3 days (could be longer in cooler temperatures) you should begin to see small bubbles on the surface and the honey will be noticeably runnier.
6. After one or two weeks you will see a lot of bubbles! Give it a stir now and then and it will really bubble up. The honey is ready at any point after this and will continue to slowly ferment for weeks and months. 

Be careful during the fermentation period - you can get an overspill of fizziness if you are not careful!!

7. Strain out the elderberries before consuming.
8. Take a spoonful two to three times per day when you feel a sickness coming on to shorten the duration of a cold or flu.

Note - original recipe from https://www.growforagecookferment.com/fermented-elderberry-honey/ I have updated this recipe with my notes and finidings.