Elderberry Syrup is easy to make at home in 30 minutes. Naturally high in immune-boosting compounds to help support the immune system and shorten the duration of colds and flu.
If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.
Maya Angelou
Elderberry Syrup is a tried and true remedy for general immune support and promotes resilience during times when our bodies are particularly stressed. Famous for their ability to shorten the duration of colds and flu, elderberries have been extensively studied, and clinical trials have shown significant evidence of their healing properties.
If you enjoy making homemade dietary supplements, try our Sage Oxymel and our Fire Cider Recipe, other home remedies that you may like!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This
- Elderberry syrup Ingredients
- Ingredient Notes
- How To Make Elderberry Syrup
- Storage
- Variations
- Cautions
- Suggested Use:
- Elderberry Syrup Benefits
- More Recipes You May Enjoy
- Oxymel (A Respiratory Tonic)
- Moroccan Sore Throat Tea
- Fire Cider Recipe
- Turmeric Tea (Ayurvedic Detox Tea)
- Elderberry Syrup
Why You’ll Love This
- Easy to make. Comes together in 30 minutes, with only a little hands-on time!
- Great taste. Tart, tangy berry flavor with subtle sweetness!
- Immune boost! A cold and flu cure, rich in healing properties.
- Long shelf life. Keeps in the fridge for 3 months!
Elderberry syrup Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Dried Elderberries: Packed with antioxidants and nutrients that boost your immune system.
- Fresh Ginger (or dried): Ginger is a powerful medicine with amazing effects on the respiratory system. Note: if you tend to run hot and dry you may want to leave this out of the formula. Ginger is best for cold damp symptoms.
- Black Pepper: Once known as black gold with good reason! Black pepper helps increase the bioavailability of nutrients consumed with it. In other words, including even just a little black pepper in the recipe enhances the absorption of nutrients from the elderberries!
- Whole cloves: Full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory.
- Raw Honey: Highly nutritious and has potent germ-fighting and antibacterial qualities, especially if using local honey. Sub with sugar or maple syrup to make vegan.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Boosts immunity, soothes dry throats, and improves digestive issues. Vinegar extracts the medicinal constituents, like minerals, from plants and inhibits the growth of dangerous microbes.
How To Make Elderberry Syrup
Step 1: Simmer. Add elderberries, ginger, cloves, pepper, and water to a saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes covered.
Step 2: Strain. Let cool, then strain the liquid through cheesecloth, squeezing out all juice.
Step 3: Bottle. Add apple cider vinegar and honey. Taste, adding more sweetener if desired. Bottle it in glass jar with airtight lid—your very own elderberry extract!
Storage
Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or freeze for up to 6 months.
Variations
For possible variations, try adding herbs like rosehips or cinnamon sticks.
Cautions
- Cooked elderberries are perfectly safe and edible. But a word of caution: raw elderberries and the seeds of elderberries contain a toxic substance that can induce nausea and vomiting. Stick to just the juice!
- If you have any medical conditions or are on any medications, consult your doctor before taking elderberry syrup as a supplement.
Elderberry faqs
Add elderberry discard to flavor water kefir or freeze in portions and use for tea with lemon juice.
Builds immunity and shortens the duration of cold and flu.
At the very first onset of symptoms. Small doses of Elderberry Syrup taken many times throughout the day will support your symptoms best, rather than one or two large doses a day.
The juice from the cooked elderberries is perfectly safe. The raw berries contain a toxin that can induce nausea and vomiting. Some people also react to the elderberry seeds.
Yes if you are lucky to harvest or get ahold of fresh or frozen elderberries they will work great! Just double the amount of the dried berries.
About 3 months refrigerated or 6 moths frozen.
Elderberries, yes. Though honey is not recommended for babies under one, you can substitute with maple syrup or sugar.
Suggested Use:
Elderberry syrup works best if you take it at the first signs of a cold. As cold and flu season approaches, it is great to have a batch in the fridge for when you first feel those watery eyes, itchy throat, or drippy nose. We also like to keep some dried elderberries on hand just in case we need to make more asap!
Black elderberries have a tart, tangy, delicious berry flavor. A little honey helps the syrup go down super easy (sugar or maple works to keep it vegan)!
Small doses of Elderberry Syrup taken many times throughout the day will support your system best, rather than one or two large doses a day.
Elderberry Syrup Benefits
There are numerous healthcare benefits to elderberry syrup, but here are some of the highlights!
- High in Vitamin C
- High in antioxidants
- High in Anthocyanin – a natural anti-inflammatory compound
- Reduces cold and flu symptoms
- Shortens cold and flu duration
- Supports immune system
These simple ways to create healthy remedies to care for ourselves and loved ones can be so empowering! And what a gift, both to others and ourselves. Hope you enjoy creating and sharing this Elderberry Syrup recipe!
More Recipes You May Enjoy
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
Print Elderberry Syrup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups
- Category: DIY
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Elderberry Syrup is simple to make and tastes so good! Naturally high in immune boosting compounds, elderberries help to strengthen the respiratory system and shorten the duration of colds and the flu. Whip up a batch and keep your family’s immunity strong and healthy throughout the cold season!
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- 1 cup (15 grams) dried elderberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ground or 6 whole peppercorns
- 3 cloves, whole or 1/4 teaspoon ground (optional)
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2–1 cup raw honey (adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Place elderberries, ginger, cloves, pepper and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
- Let cool. Strain through a cheese cloth squeezing out all the juice.
- Add apple cider vinegar and honey. Bottle in glass with an air tight lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Notes
Elderberry syrup works best if you take it at the first tale tell signs of a cold. As the cold and flu season approaches, it is great to have a batch in the fridge for when you first feel those watery eyes, itchy throat, or a drippy nose.
You can freeze the syrup- up to 6 months for optimum potency. Try in ice cube trays for easy portioning, then transfer to a sealed container.
Cooked elderberries are perfectly safe and edible. A word of caution: Raw elderberries and the seeds of elderberries contain a toxic substance that in some people, can induce nausea and vomiting. Stick to just the juice!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 27
- Sugar: 5.8 g
- Sodium: 1.9 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.1 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
My favorite recipe for elderberry syrup! Thank you
Yay, great to hear this Dana! Appreciate the review!
Where can I find this exact cheese cloth? I attempted to strain with a strainer and the seeds fell through. Maybe the secret is this cheese cloth.
This is a Hario cloth filter- I think for coffee but I use it for herbs. I also use fine woven cheese cloth from the hardware store.
Okay I have made this 3 times this winter and no sickness here in our house! Love adding it to our sparkling water. Thanks for making it so easy to take our medicine!
Thank you, thank you, thank you….. I love this recipe, I love all your recipes for their ingenuity, accessibility, creativeness and down to earthness!! I have dozens of recipe books, but keep referring back to you. Thank you again – one happy lady in Cornwall, England
Awww…we really appreciate this Felicity!
Can the syrup be frozen?
Yes! Some like to freeze in portions in an ice cube tray.
How long would it last if frozen in ice cube trays?
About 6 months for optimum potency.
I am so lucky to be able to harvest both blue and red elderberries each year here in Oregon! They freeze well! I make syrup with both. The red is also very good and has an almost citrus like flavor. We use both to top yogurt as well and the blue syrup to make an elderberry cream pie.
You are lucky! Sounds wonderful Christine!
Where to get dried elderberry!
Hi Maria! Try at a local health food grocery store in the bulk section or I just added a link to the recipe card.
Hello, so excited to find this recipe on your site and to try it. just wondering about the difference with fresh or frozen berries? Thanks!
Hi Vanessa, If you have frozen elderberries just use double the amount of the measurement for the dried. The dried are more readily available for purchase. I have not seen them available to buy frozen? But you can harvest your own and freeze or dry them! I hope I am understanding your question?
so where does a person get elderberries if they don’t have an elderberry bush?
Hi Anne 🙂 Many natural food markets carry dried elderberries, often found in the bulk section by the other herbs. You can also find them online!