Preparation

Put the elderberries, ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise and orange peel in a pot that has a lid. Pour the 2 1/2 cups of water over the herbs and bring to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, reduce the heat and cover. If your lid has a vent, that is good, but if it doesn't tip the cover so there is a way for steam to escape.

Let the mix simmer with frequent stiring and mashing the berries for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit with the cover still tipped for about 10 minutes to cool.

Use the tongs to remove the larger pieces in the pot. Cinnamon Sticks, and Star Anise can usually be removed this way. Drape the cheesecloth over the strainer and put the strainer over the measuring cup. Pour the mixture through the cheesecloth and strainer into the measuring cup.

Let the solution drain, and when it is cool enough squeeze the cheesecloth to get as much of the liquid out that you can. If the volume of liquid is less than two cups, add a little water to bring it up to that level.

Stir in the 1 cup of Honey (half of the volume of liquid) and still until Honey is completely disolved.

Pour into glass bottles, and label them with the name of Elderberry Syrup and the date. Put them in the refridgerator and store them there. Generally after about an hour of cooling, you can start taking the syrup. Keep the bottles in the refridgerator when not in use.