How to Make Elderberry Syrup with Fresh or Dried Berries

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In this post we’ll share how to make elderberry syrup  with fresh or dried berries or juice. Making your own is a great way to save money on this wonderful immune supporting tonic. It’s great for kids and adults during cold and flu season.

To use elderberry syrup as a preventative, give a tablespoon per day to adults or a teaspoon per day to children. At the first sign of illness, give adults a tablespoon full every 2-3 hours. For children, give a teaspoonful every 2-3 hours.

I noticed years ago that the ingredient lists on most commercial elderberry syrups for kids don’t contain much elderberry. Now we make our own so we know it’s the real deal. Studies have shown that elderberry syrup helps treat the flu virus. (See more information on those studies at the end of the post.)

Elderberry Syrup Recipes

Elderberry Syrup Recipe Using Dried Elderberries

Easy elderberry syrup recipe made with soothing herbs, honey and dried berries.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 2 cups 1x
• Category: Condiment
• Method: Stovetop Cooking
• Cuisine: American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup dried organic Elderberries (4 ounces)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup raw honey
• 1 organic cinnamon stick
• 5 organic cloves
• 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger or a pinch of dried organic Ginger root (optional)

Instructions

1. Place berries, water, and spices in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until liquid is reduce by one half.
3. Strain the mixture into a bowl, squishing juice out of the berries.
4. Stir in honey. Allow to cool and stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.

Notes

• Will last for 2-3 weeks stored in the fridge.

Keywords: elderberry syrup

Note: If you want to preserve all the benefits of your raw honey, make sure to heat the syrup gently. Do not bring to a boil.

Elderberry Syrup Recipe with Lemon and Cloves

Elderberry, lemon and cloves combine for a gentle syrup for colds and coughs.

• Author: Laurie Neverman
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 3-4 cups 1x
• Category: Condiment
• Method: Canning
• Cuisine: American

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Ingredients

• 1 pint elderberry juice
• 1lb (450g) of sugar
• Juice of one lemon
• 10 whole cloves

Instructions

1. Sterilize two 16-ounce jars or four 8-ounce jars, keep hot. Heat lids and rings in hot water, keep warm but not boiling. Fill water bath canner and bring to boil.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot. Heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil and boil for ten minutes (this infuses the flavor of the spices into the syrup).
3. Strain out cloves and ladle hot syrup into sterilized jars leaving 1/4″ headspace. Wipe rims clean and screw on the lids.
4. Process for 10 minutes in water bath canner (add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level). Makes around 1-2 pints (3-4 cups) of syrup.

Notes

Adapted from Ashridge Trees in the UK.

Keywords: elderberry syrup

Elderberry Syrup with Honey and Cinnamon

Elderberry, cinnamon and honey combine for this soothing elderberry syrup for kids.

• Author: Laurie Neverman
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 3 pints 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 quart elderberry juice
• 2 cups honey
• 2 sticks cinnamon

Instructions

1. Sterilize three 16-ounce jars, keep hot. Heat lids and rings in hot water, keep warm but not boiling. Fill water bath canner and bring to boil.
2. Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot. Heat and stir until all honey is dissolved.
3. Bring to boil and boil for ten minutes. (This infuses the flavor of the spices into the syrup.)
4. Ladle hot syrup into sterilized jars leaving 1/4″ headspace. Wipe rims clean and screw on the lids.
5. Process for 10 minutes in water bath canner (add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level). Makes around 3 pints of syrup

Keywords: elderberry syrup

Elderberry syrup on the stove top.

Harvesting Elderberries

The first time I made elderberry syrup, my friend,Tami, harvested and processed a ton of berries into juice. (You can see how she processed the fresh berries into juice here.) She brought juice over later in the week, and we set to work making syrup.

Elderberries grow on large shrubs that like plenty of moisture. The American black elderberry is native the eastern United States. You may be able to find it in the wild, but make sure you have a positive ID before harvesting. You can see the plants and tips for identification here.

Elderberry bushes are also available through nurseries, so you can grow your own. We planted a number of them at the north edge of our yard, and they are now starting to fruit.

If You Don’t Have Access to Elderberry Bushes

Making elderberry syrup from dried elderberries is cheapest, but the juice based syrups have a little more berry flavor. Wyldewood Cellars elderberry concentrate is made with pure elderberry juice and water. (Most products contain other juice or additives.)

Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry Syrup is USDA certified organic elderberry syrup, and is made with:

• Organic Black Elderberry
• Organic Acerola fruit
• Vitamin C (from Organic Acerola)
• Organic cane sugar
• water
• lemon juice

You can also get elderberry gummies for kids.

Pick the Right Cinnamon!

Note: Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum or Cinnamomum verum – true cinnamon ) has better medicinal qualities than cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomom cassia). I usually buy my Ceylon cinnamon sticks in bulk to save money and split the purchase with friends. I store any unused cinnamon sticks in a vacuum sealed mason jar to preserve freshness.

Storing Homemade Elderberry Syrup

Although I include instructions for canning elderberry syrup, you may also store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. For longer storage, canning or freezing is recommended. Use an ice cube tray to freeze small amounts to thaw as needed, or wide mouth freeze or can jars.

You can double or triple the canned syrup – just adjust the sugar and other ingredients accordingly. If you have an abundance of berries, the honey elderberry syrup makes a pretty good pancake syrup, too.

Health Benefits of Elderberries

Elderberries have been used for years in folk medicine, but recent studies are identifying numerous health benefits, too. Elderberry syrup was one of the few things my youngest could take for coughs that didn’t upset his stomach.

Elderberry fruit is:

• Very high in antioxidants
• Has antiviral effects
• Stimulates the immune system, helping you to fight off cold and flu viruses

Although the European elderberry (Sambucus nigra) has been more well studied and cultivated, the American elderberry contains similar anti-cancer compounds. (Note:  Some sources list the European elderberry as Sambucus nigra sbsp. nigra, and the American elderberry as Sambucus nigra sbsp. canadensis. Their properties are very similar.)

Elderberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of various small fruits as measured using the ORAC method. [ORAC] = Oxygen Radical absorbance Capacity. When tested, elderberry fruits had an ORAC value of 147. This compares to 62 for blueberries, 95 for cranberries, 53 for mulberries, 40 for raspberries and 36 for strawberries. (Source: “Elderberry as a Medicinal Plant“)

Note: Those with autoimmune conditions should avoid prolonged use and/or consult with their doctors. Elderberry may also interact with diuretics and immune suppressing medication.

Is Elderberry Syrup Effective Against the Flu?

Yes! Scientific studies show that elderberry syrup helps fight the flu virus and beat flu symptoms. They include:

• Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections.
• The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines.
• Inhibition of several strains of influenza virus in vitro and reduction of symptoms by an elderberry extract (Sambucus nigra L.) during an outbreak of influenza B Panama.

I’m very thankful to have a stash of elderberry syrup on hand for the coming winter months!

Can dried elderberries be reused to make two batches of syrup?

During cooking, the berries give up their healing compounds to the syrup. This means it’s best to use new berries each time you make a new batch.

More Herbal Recipes

You may also enjoy our other Natural Remedies posts. Popular posts include:

• Immune Boosting Herbs in Finger Gelatin
• The Best Home Remedies for Stomach Flu Treatment
• Easy Homemade Cough Drops for Treatment of Sore Throats and Coughs
• 12 Home Remedies for Cough – Quite and Soothe Your Hacking Cough
• Herbal Cold and Cough Care – Sore Throat Syrup and Cold and Flu Tea

Note: If you’re looking for the elderberry jelly recipes, see Elderberry Jelly Recipes – Low Sugar and Sure-Jell Options. We also have instructions for How to Make Elderberry Wine.

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This post is for informational purposes only and is intended to treat or diagnose any illness. Please see a trained healthcare provider for symptoms that are severe or long lasting.

Originally published in 2011, last updated in  2018.