Use this homemade Elderberry Syrup recipe to keep your family healthy all year round!
I started using elderberry syrup when my daughter Meghan was a toddler. Elderberries are rich with health benefits, including:
Health Benefits of Elderberries
- Boost the immune system
- Fight and protect against bacterial infections
- Fight and protect against viral infections
- Reduce the symptoms and duration of a cold or the flu
- helps clear sinus infections
- has natural diuretic effects and promotes bowel movements
- anti-inflammatory properties
- anti-carcinogenic properties
- eases symptoms of allergies
- high in antioxidants
- high in vitamin A, which makes it great for healthy skin
Clearly elderberry is a powerful plant! Through the years I’ve tried to be consistent in having our whole family take elderberry syrup, especially during the cold and flu season. The problem? Elderberry syrup is expensive!
I would much rather buy a product than have to make it. I’m a busy mama and adding one more thing to my plate can cause me to drop and break the whole plate. Nobody wants to see that.
However. When I discover I can make something for significantly cheaper at home and it’s really not that difficult, I make room on my plate. I might have to take something else off the plate, but I make room.
This homemade elderberry syrup recipe is really easy and worth the effort for the money saved. One of my lovely readers actually first shared the recipe she uses for homemade elderberry syrup with me last year when I was lamenting about the cost of buying the syrup.
Can I take a minute to tell you how much I love this community of readers? You guys are awesome and I love that we can help each other!
I use the basics of that recipe, but changed it slightly. I use dried cinnamon rather than a cinnamon stick and instead of using dried ginger and whole cloves, I use ginger and clove essential oils. I note in the recipe below that you can use either.
How to Make a Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe
The first step will be to get yourself some dried elderberries, which I get on Amazon. (affiliate link) Oh, how I love my Amazon Prime membership. 2 days later and you’ll be ready to make some immune-boosting syrup!
The whole process is easy and can be done while doing other household chores. You start by simmering some dried elderberries with water and spices for about 45 minutes. That’s when you can be doing other things. No need to hover over the pot here.
Once the liquid is reduced by half, you drain the liquid. I use a fine mesh strainer which makes it super easy. (Mine are very similar to these and I use them for everything!)
Make sure you squeeze all the liquid out of the berries so you aren’t wasting any. The back of a wooden spoon should do the trick.
Make sure the liquid is cooled, and then you can add your raw honey. Raw honey sweetens the syrup so kids will take it easily, but also has its own medicinal benefits. Win-win!
Then you store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it will last for about two months. For adults, take 1 tablespoon daily and for children, 1 teaspoon daily. If you or your children are experiencing sickness or feel something coming on, that dose should be repeated four times daily.
Here’s a video to show you how easy it is to make homemade elderberry syrup at home!
Here’s to a healthy cold and flu season!
Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe
Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe
- Total Time: 50 mins
Description
This homemade elderberry syrup can be made in less than an hour and will keep your family healthy all year long. It’s the best natural immune booster you can use.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dried elderberries
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon dried cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon dried cloves or 4 whole cloves or 1 drop clove essential oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon dried ginger or 1 drop ginger essential oil
- 1 cup raw honey
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the elderberries, water, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 40-45 minutes.
- Allow the liquid to cool, and then drain the liquid using a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth.
- Press all liquid out of the berries using the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add the raw honey and mix well.
- Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to two months.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: natural medicine
Nutrition
- Calories: 1113
- Sugar: 278g
- Sodium: 21mg
- Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 299g
- Protein: 2g
Take along with this Vitamin C Smoothie for extra immune-boosting power!
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The syrup tastes delicious, however, it should be mentioned somewhere that this has the potential to begin fermenting. How do I know? I had this in a flip top bottle and after 1 week it exploded from the pressure. Natural yeast on the elderberries I’m guessing, though it’s surprising that the boiling didn’t kill them off.
I’ve never had this happen in over 7 years of consistently making this recipe. Did you refrigerate the syrup? It does need to be refrigerated. Just curious, is that why you gave my recipe 3 stars?
My family and I began using the highest grade of store bought elderberry syrup we could find in 2007 and soon began making our own at home. The recipe Maryea lists here is very straight forward and very similar to what we do. In over 18 years of using elderberry my family has never once experienced anything like what you have purported. All things have a so-called life span or shelf life, but you will notice that not even the store bought elderberry syrups are refrigerated upon purchase – only after opening. Homemade elderberry syrup is, however, always to be immediately placed in a glass container and in the fridge directly following the cooling process. No plastics.
Just curious, why do you add the spices in to cook with the elderberries? Why not add them in towards the end so they aren’t boiling (not sure if the medicinal properties of the spices will be lessened or killed)? Also I’m curious why you say it only lasts two months? I’ve had syrup last up to 6 months or longer.
Once made how much do you take daily?
I’ve been making this for several months now and it’s so easy and delicious. My kids love it too! Thank you!!
Hi! Is this safe while breastfeeding?
Yes 🙂
Can this be made without the honey? I don’t want sweetener at all.
Yes, but don’t think it will taste very good!
How much does it yield? Trying to gauge the jars to use?
Wondering the same thing. Following… I was planning on 16 oz jars.
I followed this recipe to the tee recently for 2x and it made almost 40z
Can I use fresh or frozen elderberries? If so, what proportions should I use? Thanks, Vicki
Hi Vicki! I’m sorry but I’ve only used dried elderberry to make this so I can’t say how much you’ll need if using fresh.
So my stove runs hot and it dried up all of the liquids even on low… and just left elderberries and the cinnamon stick… do eating the elderberries have any redeemable qualities?
This just happened to me too. Sad. Not sure what ti do now with it.
Don’t eat the elderberries. I take my pulp and freeze it in ice cube trays. I wrap each cube and place in freezer bag. I like to steep a cube for a tea. 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to 1 cube and let steep for 4 minutes. You can add honey or any sweetener if needed. Hope this helps in the future. Sorry to hear of your misfortune.
Yes, add more water and leave the lid on so the water doesn’t evaporate when you’re simmering it.
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s wonderful! I, also, started adding a 1/2 cup of dried mullberries for the polyphenols. Good stuff!