Elderberry syrup is a natural and delicious way to boost immunity. At approximately $3 to upwards of $6 per ounce, store-bought elderberry syrup is convenient, but not easy on the wallet. Making your own syrup costs pennies compared to pre-made and it”s so easy to make. Just follow the recipe below! To learn more about elderberry and it”s properties look here.
Step 1: Gather ingredients
1 cup dried elderberries
1/4 cup fresh, grated ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup cloves
4 cups filtered water
1 cup raw, local honey
** Elderberries can be found in your local health food / herb store or online { Mountain Rose Herbs, Frontier Natural Products Coop, or Amazon to name a few } **
If you don’t want to gather individual herbs to make your own syrup, try this Elderberry Syrup Kit to simplify things!
Step 2: Simmer
With the exception of the honey, simmer all ingredients in a pot for two hours. Heating raw honey to temperatures over 145 degrees Fahrenheit destroys its beneficial properties.
Step 3: Strain
Using a cheesecloth strain elderberries to extract as much juice as possible from the berries. If you don”t have cheesecloth on hand (like I did) a fine mesh strainer works just as well, just use a spoon to press the berries and release their juices. Collect juice in a mixing bowl or mason jar. Discard berries.
Step 4: Sweeten
Add raw honey to extracted juice. You may find that warming the berry juice a little will help the honey dissolve faster but be sure the berry juice is 145 degrees Fahrenheit or less to decrease risk of destroying the nutritive and healing properties of the honey.
Step 5: Store
Store elderberry syrup in a clean, airtight, glass container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Mason jars, glass bottles or glass syrup dispensers are all great choices.
Have you made your own elderberry syrup? Share your experience with us!
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Great recipe and absolutely gorgeous pictures! How often do you recommend using the syrup?
Love your site, and LOVE this post! Found you through resiliantnews.com.
Do you mind if I cross post this to my website? Elderberry syrup is absolutely one thing I always have on hand. I am also a mother of three, and we homeschool, as well. You might like this post of mine, about the homesteading lifestyle, and what it means for my family…http://www.billyjoesfoodfarm.com/1/post/2013/01/being-self-sufficient-is-not-political.html
Hi! I was just wondering if there was any difference in elderberry quality depending on where you get it?
[…] Elderberry Syrup […]
I was reading your recipe and noticed that in the pictures it looks like you used dried land ground ginger and cinnamon… Is it better to use the fresh or the dried? I have both and was just curious. Also, other recipes I’ve read are simply the water honey and berries… Is it important to add the other spices? What specifically do they do as an addition to this syrup? hanks!
[…] How to Make Your Own Elderberry Syrup {Tutorial} […]
Is there a dosage guide I missed somewhere? Thanks!
Also, following up on a question above about the dried ginger vs. fresh…