Elderberry syrup is great to have on hand for both its taste and its medicinal properties. It can be used as a condiment, on pancakes or waffles, in yogurt, any way you would use a fruit syrup or by the tablespoon for medicinal purposes.
Benefits of Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry is antiviral, it inhibits viral replication, binds influenza virus so it can’t infect host cells, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antioxidant, immune-modulating and immune-boosting.
With all those benefits it's a wonder more people aren't utilizing its amazing health-promoting properties.
Harvesting
If you're fortunate enough to be able to grow elderberries in your yard or harvest them locally, you'll save a small fortune when making elderberry syrup, elderberry tincture, elderberry gummies, or other elderberry recipes.
There are a handful of varieties of elderberries, and it's important to know the differences as not all elderberries are edible or safe to consume (and no elderberries should ever be eaten raw/uncooked).
Types
- American elderberry (Sambucus nigra canadensis) or European or black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) – both these varieties are similar and safe to use for recipes calling for elderberries. Look to harvest berries that are dark purple, dark blue, or nearly black. If they're green or partly green, they're not yet ripe.
- Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemona var. racemona) – Typically used as an ornamental plant and is NOT safe to consume.
- Blue Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana or Sambucus nigra var. caerulea) – Found in the northwest and western coastal regions of Mexico, the US and Canada. Typically has a powdery white film on the berries, is commonly used as an ornamental plant and is NOT safe to consume.
Never Eat Raw Elderberries
Elderberries contain a compound called hydrocyanic acid that when consumed raw can cause extreme stomach upset especially in large amounts.
The good news is, heat breaks down this acid and we can make and enjoy elderberry syrup.
Where to Buy
My favorite source for organic elderberries is from my affiliate FarmHouse Teas. They have fantastic products and you can even purchase an Elderberry Syrup Kit.
The Elderberry Syrup kit includes all my favorite add-ins like Organic Orange Peel, Organic Rose Hips, Organic Astragalus, Organic Echinacea, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Ginger, and Organic Cloves. Plus one bag makes 96 servings!!!
Tips for Making Elderberry Syrup
- Always cook your syrup at a simmer for at least 15 minutes.
- Don't use a pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or even a pot with the lid on as the hydrocyanic acid needs to be able to cook out, and if the lid is on, it drips back into the syrup rather than evaporating.
- Wait until the elderberry juice has cooled to hot bath water temp, about 110 degrees, before adding honey and ACV.
- Elderberry juice can be consumed plain. But for a tastier syrup add honey, and for additional health benefits add one or more of the optional add-ins such as cinnamon, rose hips, ginger, astragalus root, orange peel, or clove.
Ingredients
- Dried Elderberries – dried elderberries can be purchased year-round, however you can also use fresh elderberries if they're ripe and in season.
- Raw Apple Cider Vinegar – ACV is helpful for preservation purposes. It'll help keep your elderberry syrup more shelf-stable. It also adds medicinal benefits as it's added once the syrup has cooled, so the raw properties are still intact. Learn how to make homemade apple cider vinegar here.
- Raw Unfiltered Honey – any honey will work for this recipe, I like to use raw, unfiltered honey because it has additional benefits to help with seasonal allergies. Because of the addition of honey, elderberry syrup should not be given to kids under 12 months of age.
Optional Add-Ins
Add one or more of the following, to taste, for extra flavor and additional health benefits:
- Cinnamon sticks
- Fresh ginger root (or ginger powder)
- Rosehips
- Dried astragalus Root
- Dried orange peel
- Rosemary
Directions
In a small saucepan, add elderberries and water and bring to a simmer.
Keeping the liquid at a simmer, cook for approximately 20 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half.
Mash the berries to help them release all their juices. Add more water if the berries soak up too much liquid or if you reduce your liquid too much.
Strain syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a medium glass bowl. Mash the berries with the back of a spoon to extract all the juices.
Allow the elderberry juice to cool slightly (about 110 degrees) and add in honey and apple cider vinegar.
Stir until honey has dissolved. Pour into a glass storage jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
Dosing
Preventative
Take 1 Tablespoon daily as a preventative measure a few days before high exposure activity and then 7 days after suspected exposure.
Example: I have a flight coming up and will begin taking elderberry syrup 3 days before, during my trip, and 7 days after I get home.
Symptoms Present
When feeling symptoms of illness, more frequent doses throughout the day are needed. Herbalist Rosalee De La Foret recommends a spoonful (about 1 tsp) every hour when feeling down (from her book The Alchemy of Herbs).
Safety Precautions
Because this recipe includes honey, it should not be given to children under the age of 12 months.
Avoid use if you have an autoimmune disorder. The use of elderberry syrup hasn't been tested on patients with autoimmune disorders such as Hashimotos, therefore, you should always take precautions and check with your healthcare provider before starting.
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a review on the recipe card below. Also, I'd love to see your homemade elderberry syrup, so tag me on social media @melissaknorris.
Elderberry Syrup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried elderberries
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Place dried elderberries and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 20 minutes and mash the berries towards the end to help them release more juice.
- Add more water if berries soak up too much so you have enough syrup left to strain at the end.
- Strain syrup, making sure to push down on the berries to extract all the juice.
- After it’s cooled slightly but is still warm, add in honey and apple cider vinegar.
- Stir well and store in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Always cook your syrup at a simmer for at least 15 minutes.
- Don't use a pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or even a pot with the lid on as the hydrocyanic acid needs to be able to cook out and can't evaporate out with a lid on, it drips back into the syrup.
- Wait until the elderberry juice has cooled to hot bath water temp, about 110 degrees, before adding honey and ACV.
- Elderberry juice can be consumed plain. But for a tastier syrup add honey, and for additional health benefits add one or more of the optional add-ins such as cinnamon, rose hips, ginger, astragalus root, orange peel, or clove.
And the equivalent to dried of freshly picked elderberries?
Rule of thumb with dried food is it’s a third dried to fresh. So 1/3 cup dried is equivalent to 1 cup fresh. In this case 1/2 cup dried would be 1 and 1/2 cups fresh.
Dear Melissa, I am so sorry about the trials you are going through. I am 60 years old and have been through enough tough stuff to know that This to Shall Pass! When my husband had cancer and then again when he was stomped almost to death by a mama cow and had to be airlifted by LifeFlight. I would wake up in the mornings and it felt as if God was speaking to me these words “Everything is Gonna Be Alright “. I held on to those words for dear life. Find encouragement in The Word and hold on tight cause “It’s going to be alright.
((Hugs)) and prayers.
Jackie
I’m curious if you’ve ever heard of, or used, aronia berries? My inlaws have about 50 aronia bushes on their farm (planted as a wind break years ago not having any idea what they were!) and I’ve started making syrup out of those. There isn’t a lot of great information about them because I think they’re just not all that well known, but whenever I try to research about them I am almost always directed to sites on elderberries.
I make aronia syrup very similar to the recipe you just showed but with fresh or frozen berries. Our favorite is to mix a spoonful into a glass of seltzer for a bubbly treat!
I’m not familiar with aronia berries, I’ve heard the name but that’s about the extent of my knowledge, sorry.
Benita, would you say that the Aronia Berry can be substituted for the elderberry? I can find Aronia Berry where I live but elderberry is nearly impossible to get my hands on.
Found this:
Though the elderberry is the closest to the Aronia Berry in flavonoids and polyphenols, the antioxidant fighting compounds of the elderberry still don’t quite measure up to Aronia on the USDA Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC Scale. 100 grams of the Elderberry scaled in at 14,697 on the ORAC value scale, while 100 grams of the Aronia Berry scaled in at a whopping 16,062 on the ORAC value scale.
https://www.superberries.com/aroniaberry-vs-elderberry
I had no problem Googling. Aronia-Melanocarpa is commonly called the
Viking Black Chokeberry Tree. Very interesting tree and I plan to get one here in N. H. I also love High Country Gardens web site.
Lots of info here:
https://www.highcountrygardens.com/perennial-plants/shrubs/aronia-melanocarpa-viking-black-chokeberry-tree?gclid=Cj0KCQiA4L2BBhCvARIsAO0SBdaMsv4y7Hlr4KqlXZGr45qdz2Un3pCEtiv9h-lyHwtyYStPmpvv4M4aAotVEALw_wcB
Hi There!
I will keep you in my prayers. It is so nice to go to a web site of a fellow Christian, who believes that prayers really do work!
Also, do you have a code to use for the elderberry company, Farmhouse Teas?
Would love to have your newsletter!!!
I would love to get more info on making homemade medicinal
recipes for my family! I love that you have videos of how too do the
processes! Thanks so much !
Roxanne Petersen
So just to clarify, it’s best to not use a lid at all throughout the entire process?
Hello, and thank you so much for your information! I was wondering if I could just use organic fresh orange peels since that is what I have on hand? Thank you and God bless!
Yes, those would work great!
Would there be a substitute for honey that I could use? I’m allergic to honey. I usually use maple syrup but not sure if that would be ok in this recipe. Thanks!
You can use sugar or try maple syrup, raw honey has medicinal properties as well as preservative but the sugar/maple syrup will help with preservative and flavor.
My elderberries just started producing! Do you know of a safe canning recipe for the syrup? Or is drying/freezing my only longer term storage option?
I use a juice steamer for all of my berries. Is this safe for elderberries of which we have an abundance?