How To Make Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dried Elderberries Organic
- 2.5 cups Water Spring or Distilled
- 1 stick Cinnamon Organic
- 3 cloves Clove Whole
- 1 tablespoon Ginger (Grated) Organic
- 1 cup Honey Local Raw
Instructions
- Add water, elderberries, cinnamon, clove, and ginger into a saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil.1 cup Dried Elderberries, 2.5 cups Water, 1 stick Cinnamon, 3 cloves Clove, 1 tablespoon Ginger (Grated)
- Remove lid and allow to gently simmer for about 35 minutes or until the water is reduced to half.
- Remove from heat and mash berries gently with a utensil
- Strain through cotton cheesecloth into a jar
- Allow berry mixture to cool to room temperature and then whisk in honey.1 cup Honey
- Refrigerate and enjoy for up to two weeks.
- Compost the berries and return it to the earth.
Where Do You Find Ingredients for Elderberry Syrup?
Dried Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) can be hard to find. If they are not in your local supermarket, I recommend checking with local farmers and then with organic suppliers such as Starwest Botanicals or Mountain Rose Herbs.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Honey: You can use store-bought honey, but I do recommend using honey from your local pollinators to support small farmers as well as get the additional immune benefits from ingesting honey from your local flora.
- Ginger: You can use powdered ginger (1/4 teaspoon)
- Cinnamon: You can use powdered cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon)
- Clove: You can use powered clove (1/4 teaspoon)
What Does Elderberry Syrup Look and Taste Like?
Elderberries are a bit tangy, tart, and bitter. Elderberry Syrup on the other hand has a nice balance of warm and sweet thanks to the cloves, cinnamon and honey. My husband, who is picky when it comes to flavor of folk medicine, enjoys Elderberry Syrup because of the sweetness from the honey, and I have to agree! It is a winner!
While this recipe is called a syrup, you will find it is more liquid like than you might expect. This is okay!
How Long Does Elderberry Syrup Last?
Since elderberry syrup has water content, it is important to store in the refrigerator after it is made. I like to store mine in a canning jar with an air-tight seal. A rule of thumb is that it last about two weeks. You are also welcome to pour into ice cube trays and freeze what you aren’t going to use. I like to work in small batches so I only make as much as I need.
How Much Elderberry Syrup Should You Take?
Please consult a healthcare provider to recommend an individualized recommendation for you. I personally take 1 tablespoon a day for no more than five days in a row for a maximum of two weeks. It is not advised to take more than 1 tablespoon or less than 1 teaspoon. Again, this is my preference and a healthcare professional should be consulted prior to use.
This recipe is for 24 doses, which can be used for two adults two weeks. If my husband and I catch a cold, this is our go to.
What Do You To With The Used Elderberries?
I love to compost them and your compost bin will be very happy! During the process of cooking the berries a lot of the nutritional value is lost and reusing them for another syrup isn’t recommended. If you use organic cotton cheesecloth, I will compost spent cheesecloth too! A healthy compost bin will rapidly degrade the organic waste.
Can You Use Fresh Elderberries to Make Elderberry Syrup?
The concern for using fresh elderberries is the risk of cyanide poisoning. When using fresh berries, you will want to ensure the stems, bark, and leaves are all removed and not present within your berries. You can reduce with using no to little water as you will not need to rehydrate the berries and follow the recipe. Cooking the berries will cause the cyanide compound to evaporate and cook out of the berries. Be sure to cook fully before consumption and consult a medical professional before use.
Health Benefits of Elderberries
Elderberries have been used in folk medicine to help aid cold and flu symptoms, support heart health, and help fight inflammation. The nutrition of your specific elderberries will depend on the variety of the plant, the ripeness of the berries and the environmental and climate conditions it grew in. Sourcing your elderberries from a trusted source will have better results!
Nutrition
- Low calorie and packed with antioxidant flavonols quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin
- High in vitamin C
- High in dietary fiber
- Rich in phenolic acids
- Rich in anthocyanins
Elderberries are packed with flavonol and anthocyanin antioxidants which are substances that inhibit oxidation (a process in which an electron is removed from a molecule during a chemical reaction) that may protect your cells against free radicals.
Free radicals are molecules that are produced when your body breaks down food or when exposed to tobacco smoke, radiation or other environmental toxins. While producing free radicals is natural, they can also contribute damage to the etiology of chronic health problems such as inflammatory diseases, cancers, cataracts, and cardiovascular disease.
When too many free radicals are present it creates oxidative stress, which can affect cell membranes and other biological structures such as proteins, lipids, lipoproteins, and deoxyribonucleic acid. The phenolic acids in elderberries helps combat oxidative stress.
Cold and Flu
Elderberry has been studied to reduce the longevity and severity of cold and flu symptoms. This is not to say that Elderberry is a replacement for allopathic medicine, but can happily work in conjunction to help improve overall health.
Heart Health, Cancer, and Other Benefits
Studies are still ongoing to determine the effectiveness of elderberries though early testing has shown the reduction of fats in blood leading to lower cholesterol, have been shown in test-tube studies to have instances of cancer-inhibiting properties, and is still being studied for other useful effects.
Health Risks
Elderberry can be dangerous if consumed raw. The bark, unripe berries, and seeds contain lectins, which can cause and upset stomach. Fresh and uncooked berries may contain cyanide. Though there is only 3 mg of cyanide per 100 grams of fresh berries and it is well below a fatal dose for an adult human, it is important to fully cook the berries at 180 degrees Fahrenheit to remove the harmful traits that can lead to nausea, vomiting, weakness, dizziness, numbness, and stupor.
If you have allergies to birch pollens or honeysuckle you may have allergy to elderberry. Consult a medical professional before use.
If you are using medication for immune suppressants, diuretics, or have an auto-immune condition consult a medical professional prior to use.
If you are pregnant, discuss use with your healthcare provider before use.
Because of this potential toxicity, when using elderberry with children below the age of 18, please consult a medical doctor before use.
For Further Reading
- Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health
- Free Radicals, Antioxidants in Disease and Health
- Nutrition and Health Info-Sheet
- Advanced research on the antioxidant and health benefit of elderberry in food
- Poisoning from Elderberry Juice
- USDA Elderberries Fact Sheet
- Phenolics in Human Health
- Anthocyanins: natural colorants with health-promoting properties
- An Evidence-Based Systematic Review of Elderberry and Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications. For educational purposes only.
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