{Note from Jessica: Today’s post is shared by my lovely friend, Marjorie Saveski, author of the This is So Good website. Marjorie is a blogger and a home cook with a passion for real food, health, and fitness. She hopes to share what she has learned through her real life experience and research with her readers. Stop by her site, This is So Good, to find more delicious recipes and helpful health information.}

As much as most of us would like to deny it, cold and flu season is around the corner. I’m a firm believer that a clean diet, a little stress management, and some common sense (wash your hands!!) can go a long way towards avoiding those bugs. But, sometimes even those steps are not enough to keep one from catching a cold.

That’s when a little extra help can come in handy. I love turning to natural alternatives to not only boost my immune system but to help me recover if I do fall ill. The recipe I’m sharing with you today is filled with five of my favorite feel-better ingredients. Plus it’s tasty, so it’s a win-win!

Some of our favorite treats are homemade gummy snacks. The flavor options are infinite and you get a healthy dose of gut-healing gelatin. Gelatin is made up of the amino acids arginine and glycine, which aid digestion and encourage the body to utilize complete proteins more efficiently. Gelatin-rich foods like homemade stocks or gummy snacks are a great way to settle an upset stomach and to get some good nutrition into the body.

Speaking of upset stomachs – ginger is my go-to for a stomach that’s feeling “off”. Ginger has also been shown to provide anti-inflammatory properties and supports joint health. Ginger is a warming food and can sometimes induce a little sweating – helpful for a gentle detox.

Turmeric is a relatively new love of mine. I’ve used it many times in curries and other Indian dishes and have taken it in supplement form when recovering from an orthopedic injury, but it wasn’t until recently that I really began to dig into why turmeric is so amazing.

Turmeric contains curcumin, which gives turmeric it’s beautiful golden yellow color. Curcumin helps to boost your immune system and strengthens your digestive system. Great benefits during cold and flu season, right?

As a bonus, turmeric (curcumin in particular) helps support joint health. I have read that curcumin works best when taken with black pepper. It seems that as long as pepper is eaten in your diet, it does not need to be taken at the same time. If you would like to add some peppercorns to the recipe, just simmer them along with the elderberries.

Elderberries are also pretty new to my kitchen. I started experimenting with them last year and plan to have a healthy stash of elderberries in my pantry this winter. Jessica discusses the health benefits of elderberries in detail here, but these are some of my favorite highlights: They are very rich in vitamin C and due to their beautiful, dark color, they are also a great source of antioxidants.

Finally, honey! I generally don’t sweeten my food very much. Even treats are usually only sweetened with fruit, a dab of honey, or maple syrup. However, I find turmeric and elderberries to have a bit of a bitter flavor, so honey makes these gummies more palatable and kid-friendly. And since we are looking for immune-boosting powerhouse ingredients, honey fits the bill. However, this is only the case if you use raw honey, preferably local.

Raw honey has enzymes, minerals, and vitamins which give it anti-bacterial properties and help to strengthen the immune system. Check out my “Cold and Flu” Tea for another way to use honey during illness.

Delicious Obsessions Trusted Product Recommendations for Elderberry Gummies with Ginger and Turmeric

I am always asked about my favorite ingredients and what I use in my own kitchen. I have linked to the products from my affiliate partners that I personally use and recommend. And now, here are the special coupon offers that select affiliate partners are currently offering:

• Thrive Market: If you sign up through this link, you will get 15% OFF your first order.
• Amazon, of course, has everything you need for this recipe. Their prices are often very good, though I love to shop around and sometimes find that Thrive Market has better deals. If you like saving money, it’s good to shop around! 🙂

Important Note On Gelatin Types 

When it comes to gelatin, you don’t want any old gelatin off the supermarket shelves. You want to look for 100% grass-fed gelatin from healthy animals. Just like other animal products, quality is important.

That is why I recommend Vital Proteins Grass-Fed Gelatin products and Perfect Supplements products exclusively. I have compared these brand with other brands on the market and the quality far surpasses anything else I’ve tried. I am thrilled to be one of their affiliate partners and support such great products and companies.

Perfect Supplements offers a grass-fed hydrolyzed collagen (cold-soluble) right now and has a gelatin (hot-soluble) in the works for 2016. Read my review of their product here or watch the video below. You can order their own products via their own site here or on Amazon here.

Vital Proteins offers two types of gelatin. The green top (Collagen Protein) is what you need for this recipe and for recipes where you are making gummies, “jello”, etc. The blue top (Collagen Peptides) is cold water soluble and does not thicken or gel like gelatin does. Both are very nutritious, but can’t be used interchangeably. You can order their own products via their own site here or on Amazon here.

 

Elderberry Gummies with Ginger and Turmeric :: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar-Free

Yield: 16-24 gummies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

I find turmeric and elderberries to have a bit of a bitter flavor, so honey makes these gummies more palatable and kid-friendly. And since we are looking for immune-boosting powerhouse ingredients, honey fits the bill.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup of dried elderberries
• 1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
• 2 pieces of turmeric, peeled and thinly sliced or 1/4 teaspoon dried turmeric
• Filtered water
• 6 Tablespoons grass-fed gelatin
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• Optional add ins: 10-12 black peppercorns, freshly squeezed orange juice, freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

1. Place the elderberries, ginger slices, and turmeric slices in a saucepan with 2 cups of filtered water.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover the saucepan.
3. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and let the elderberries, ginger, and turmeric steep for 20-30 minutes in the covered saucepan.
5. Place a wire mesh sieve over a bowl and strain the elderberry mixture, pressing the solids against the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible.
6. Discard the solids and pour the liquid into a measuring cup. You want to have 2 cups of liquid. Add enough filtered water or freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice to make 2 cups of liquid.
7. Return the liquid to the saucepan and heat until just barely simmering.
8. Slowly sprinkle in the gelatin. I like to add one tablespoon at a time and make sure it is thoroughly incorporated before adding more in order to avoid getting clumps.
9. Once all of the gelatin has been added, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool to room temperature before adding the honey.
10. Pour the liquid into an 8x8 inch baking dish or into silicone molds.
11. Place in the refrigerator until set, usually 3-4 hours.
12. Cut into squares or use a small cookie cutter to make fun shapes for the kids.
13. These gummies need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for 1-2 weeks. Don't freeze them, as that changes the molecular structure of the gelatin and they will turn to mush.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Frontier Elder Berries Whole Organic - 1 lb
• 
  Perfect Bovine Gelatin - Sourced EXCLUSIVELY From Brazilian Grass Pastured (Grass Fed) Cows
• 
  My Fruit Shack DIY Fruit Snacks Set - 4 BPA-Free LFGB/FDA Grade Silicone Molds (Makes 184 Gummies Total), 2 Droppers and 1 Basic Recipe Page

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 9Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered from Nutritionix and we often find their calculations to be slightly inaccurate based on the whole food ingredients we use on this site. Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on many factors. We strive to keep the information as accurate as possible, but make no warranties regarding its accuracy. We encourage readers to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Do you like making your own gummy snacks? What is your favorite flavor combinations? Leave a comment below!

Want Even More Gelatin Goodness?

Health Benefits and Gelatin Info

• Get the real scoop on gelatin brands here.
• Learn how to use gelatin for an egg replacement here.
• Find out the amazing health benefits of gelatin here.

Gelatin Recipes (Gluten-Free)

• Strawberry Mint Lemonade Gummies
• Melon Gummies
• Elderberry Gummies with Ginger and Turmeric
• Honey Orange Fruit Snacks
• Strawberry Clouds Dessert
• Vanilla Bean Faux Cheesecake
• Clean and Healthy Homemade Marshmallows
• Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
• Pumpkin Brownies
• Pumpkin Scones
• Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Milk Pudding
• Coconut Tulsi (Holy Basil) Ice Cream
• Strawberries & Cream Tart
• Creamy Coconut Milk Yogurt (no yogurt maker required)

The Gelatin Secret

For further reading, my friend Sylvie’s book, The Gelatin Secret (affiliate link), is by far the best book out there on the subject.

Gelatin is the superfood that can give you relief from digestive disorders and thousands of people are finding that regular consumption is helping them heal their bodies and live a healthier life.

 Learn More and Download Your Copy Here