How To Make Elderberry Syrup
Learn how to make homemade immune boosting elderberry syrup for cold and flu season with this simple easy recipe.
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***I am not a doctor. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.
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As a mama of little ones, autumn and winter can be hard on everyone with all the sickness going around. There are many ways I try and keep our family well but sometimes even with all the preventive measures, runny noses and coughs still find their way into our home.
This elderberry syrup recipe is easy to mix up in a short amount of time. It is also easy for the children to take since it tastes yummy. The autumn has been particularly difficult with lingering runny noses and coughs. I am giving this to everyone in the family (except the baby since it contains honey) daily to give our immune systems the boost that they seem to need right now.
Is Elderberry Syrup Effective?
The big question we often have when it comes to home or natural remedies is “are they effective?” Elderberry has been used for centuries for a variety of illnesses. Some research has been done on the effects of elderberries on colds and the flu.
One study was done on air travelers, and while it didn’t seem to significantly reduce the number of people who came down with illness, it did seem to reduce the severity of the illness as well as duration (source).
Another study was done on people that contracted influenza. This also suggests that elderberry is effective at reducing the duration of illness by an average of 4 days (source).
There have been several other similar studies that seem to show there is a benefit to taking elderberry when sick. It would be nice to see a really thorough research study on this topic but that has yet to happen. For now though, it would seem that taking elderberry syrup is a wonderful way to help keep everyone’s immune system up and to help fight off any bugs that do come.
What are the easiest ways to get the benefits of elderberries?
Elderberry can be found in stores or online as supplements, gummies, syrups, tinctures, teas, lozenges and capsules. However, one thing in common about all these different ways to take elderberry is that they tend to be rather expensive. Many of these can be made easily at home with little cost, especially if you are able to grow or forage your own elderberries.
How to Make Elderberry Syrup
Purchasing elderberry syrup is pretty expensive. One small 8oz bottle costs over $15. If you plan to take it regularly as a preventive to illness, then that can add up quickly. However, the good news is it is very easy to make at home much cheaper. You can customize it for your family’s preference and needs too.
This recipe contains other immune boosting ingredients like cloves and gingers. It can be made with fresh, frozen or dried elderberries.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of water
- 1 cup dried elderberries 2 cups fresh or frozen elderberries
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger 2 teaspoons dried ginger
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 cup raw honey
Elderberry Syrup Recipe
Step 1 – Place all ingredients except honey in a pot. Place on medium heat on stove bring to a slow simmer.
Step 2 – Reduce heat to keep a slow simmer for 45 minutes. Keep uncovered to allow the syrup to reduce down while simmering.
Step 3 – Remove from heat and allow to steep for around an hour. The temperature should be slightly warm still but not hot, approximately around 100 degrees.
Step 4 – Strain off berries using a fine mesh strainer or a double layer of cheese cloth. Use a spatula to press out the liquid from the berries. Then pour the elderberry mixture into a glass jar. Quart sized mason jars work well.
Step 5 – Next add 1 cup of raw honey to the elderberry mixture and mix to dissolve honey. Adding the honey while the syrup is still warm (not hot) will allow the honey to be more easily incorporated. Put finished syrup into the refrigerator to keep fresh. This recipe is not intended to be kept at room temperature.
Tips:
Adding in at least 1 cup of honey to 2 cups of elderberry mixture will help preserve your elderberry syrup longer as honey is a natural preservative.
If you don’t like your elderberry syrup as sweet and want to add less honey or aren’t sure how quickly you will go through the syrup, you can always freeze it in smaller containers for a longer shelf life.
If you freeze your syrup in glass jars be sure to leave a good amount of head space and don’t seal your lid too tightly until is has frozen all the way. This will help to prevent your glass from breaking in the freezer.
Elderberry Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups water preferably filtered
- 1 cup dried elderberries or 2 cups fresh or frozen elderberries
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger or 2 teaspoons dried ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 teaspoons ground clove or 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 cup raw honey
Instructions
-
Place all ingredients except honey in a pot. Place on medium heat on stove bring to a slow simmer.
-
Reduce heat to keep a slow simmer for 45 minutes. Keep uncovered to allow the syrup to reduce down while simmering.
-
Remove from heat and allow to steep for around an hour. The temperature should be slightly warm still but not hot, approximately around 100 degrees.
-
Strain off berries using a fine mesh strainer or a double layer of cheese cloth. Use a spatula to press out the liquid from the berries. The pour the elderberry mixture into a glass jar. Quart sized mason jars work well.
-
Next add 1 cup of raw honey to the elderberry mixture and mix to dissolve honey. Adding the honey while the syrup is still warm (not hot) will allow the honey to be more easily incorporated. Put finished syrup into the refrigerator to keep fresh. This recipe is not intended to be kept at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Tips:
Adding in at least 1 cup of honey to 2 cups of elderberry mixture will help preserve your elderberry syrup longer as honey is a natural preservative.
If you don’t like your elderberry syrup as sweet and want to add less honey or aren’t sure how quickly you will go through the syrup, you can always freeze it in smaller containers for a longer shelf life.
If you freeze your syrup in glass jars be sure to leave a good amount of head space and don’t seal your lid too tightly until is has frozen all the way. This will help to prevent your glass from breaking in the freezer.
FAQ
How much elderberry syrup should I take?
How much elderberry syrup should I take a day? There are many different opinions on how much to take. Since Elderberry Syrup is more like a food, there isn’t a hard line on the proper dosage. I’ve also heard of people using elderberry syrup as a topping to their food, like on pancakes or ice cream.
Here’s what we do in our family:
- As a daily supplement – 1 teaspoon a day
- As a remedy when sick – 1 teaspoon 3-5 times a day
Everyone in our family gets the same amount no matter their age.
***Babies under one year old should not have honey.
Can I eat fresh elderberries?
No. It is not advised to eat elderberries fresh. The berries as well as the leaves, bark, roots and seeds contain lectin and cyanide that can cause an upset stomach and even vomiting and diarrhea. Cooking the berries and removing the seeds by straining through fine mesh will eliminate this problem.
Fresh, frozen or dried elderberries?
You can make elderberry syrup with either fresh, frozen or dried elderberries. The amount of berries added will very depending on which you use but the rest of the recipe is the same. One cup of dried berries would be approximately the same as 2 cups fresh or frozen berries.
Where to buy dried elderberries?
It is relatively easy to find dried elderberries online. Here are few places they can be purchased in bulk.
- Frontier Co-op Dried Elderberries ($23 per pound) – Amazon
- Mountain Rose Herbs Dried Elderberries ($35 per pound) – Mountain Rose Herbs
