How to Make Organic Elderberry Syrup-A Simple Recipe

Learn how to make organic elderberry syrup. This simple recipe will teach you to make a healthy homemade remedy to boost your immune system this season.

I want to share about a natural remedy I make at home. Every fall and winter I make this remedy to help me and my family’s immune system stay as robust as possible. This magical concoction that we love is Elderberry Syrup. I have been making it for years and I’m going to share with you why we take it regularly, its health benefits and what recipe we use.

Whether you take elderberry syrup yourself or are someone who has never heard of it this post will share tons of great info about elderberries and their benefits. Like I mentioned earlier I have been making this syrup for years and were aware of its health benefits but not until recently have I done more research into this amazing plant.

History of the Elder Bush

I have been reading, “The Elderberry Book” by John Moody. I highly recommend it. Its a pretty quick read and it’s full of tons of information about this amazing plant. He shares the history of the elderberry plant, its anatomy, how you can plant your own backyard plants and so much more. I’m going to share a few interesting tidbits of what I am learning from reading his book.

The history of the Elder bush dates back thousands of years. It was mentioned in many of Hippocrates writings. The medicinal purposes of this plant are vast.

The elder bush was known as the medicine chest of the country people. This was a medicinal resource that even the common people of history had access too. There is also much information of how the Native American’s used this plant for a variety of purposes.

Multiple Uses of the Plant

Not only were the leaves and berries used medicinally, but the wooden shoots were used for musical instruments and the berries were used as a dye, even for women’s hair. It is a beautiful plant and a great one to use as part of your landscape that has a homesteading purpose as well.

Elder is a bush that also grows abundantly in the wild. If you live on some property and know how to forage you can look to see if you have an elder bush.

This past spring I actually planted several elderberry bushes in our own yard. There are many different varieties. Mostly separated into two main categories, European and American.

Health Benefits of Elderberry Syrup

Let’s talk a little bit about the health benefits of the berry. Elderberry syrup is known to help protect against and aid in overcoming colds and flu. These berries help our immune system by boosting it’s ability to fight off viruses.

Of all of the common berries such as blueberries, strawberries, etc. Elderberries score the highest in antioxidants. This amazing little berry scores twice as high as blueberries in the amount of antioxidants it contains.

You might begin to think that with all of the health benefits it would be beneficial to just eat the berries straight off the bush. Eating the elder bush berries raw isn’t highly recommended although some people do. Usually when consuming the berries they are either cooked or fermented. Using elderberries to make syrup is a great way to use part of the bush to benefit you and your family’s health.

How to Make Organic Elderberry Syrup

I’m going to share the elderberry syrup recipe that I make for me and my family. I do follow a recipe but there are some steps that I do slightly different than what the recipe calls for. I will be sure to explain in more detail in the instructions.

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Ingredients

4 cups of water
1 cup of dried elderberries or 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen
1 TBS grated ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup of raw honey

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil and add all of the ingredients except the honey. (elderberries, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves)
2. Stir all of the ingredients thoroughly and reduce the heat to simmer.
3. Let simmer for 35-40 mins.
4. Remove from heat and cool.
5. Once cool, strain the liquid out from the berries.
6. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to smash and squeeze the berries against the strainer to get all of the remaining liquid out.
7. Once the mixture is completely cool, stir in the honey.
8. Place in a jar with lid and store in the refrigerator.

Elderberry Syrup Tips

Be sure to order certified organic and non GMO elderberries. In the future I plan to use fresh berries once I can get my elder bushes to produce.

I personally adjust this recipe by using ginger and clove essential oil. I’m obviously not against using the raw spice but I have the essential oils of both of these ingredients so I use the oil instead.

Make sure the syrup is completely cooled before you add the honey. You want to do this in order to keep all of the beneficial bacteria in the honey alive as well. Raw honey is another ingredient in this recipe that benefits our immune systems.

How To Store Your Syrup

Store your syrup in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The syrup will stay fresh for 3-4 months. I usually make ours at the beginning of the winter season and dispose of any that is left by the end of the season. Our family usually uses all of ours before that time so thankfully none goes to waste.

How to Take Elderberry Syrup

In my family we currently take half a tablespoon once a week. There are varying opinions on whether you should take it every day or if skipping a few days and taking it increases immune strength. In the past we took it every day. Currently we just take it if we are going on an outing or I feel like our immune systems might be a little worn down. If any of us do happen to come down with a cold or flu we would increase our dosage in order to help fight off the virus quicker.

Please note: Do not give elderberry syrup to children under 1 year old because of the honey content.

Making your own organic elderberry syrup is a simple and holistic health tip that you can implement in order to strengthen you and your family’s immune system this season! It’s super simple and delicious. Comment below and let me know if you tried this recipe.

This information is for informational purposes only. I am not a medical doctor or certified homeopath. No material is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen. Please never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this correspondence.