How to Make Elderberry Syrup: An Easy Recipe

If you’re looking to boost your immune system naturally, making elderberry syrup at home is a simple and affordable way to do it. I’ve found the process pretty straightforward—you mainly need fresh or dried elderberries, water, honey, and some basic cooking supplies. Making elderberry syrup involves simmering the berries to extract their nutrients, then straining and sweetening the liquid with honey.

Have you seen the prices in the grocery store?! A small bottle can run upwards of $20 – that is absolute insanity. Don’t even consider looking at the prices for the elderberry gummies for kids.

Wild.

Despite its strange smell while cooking, elderberry syrup tastes good and can be taken by the spoonful or added to drinks like tea or sparkling water. Plus, it’s fun to make your own herbal remedies instead of buying pre-made versions.

Honestly, I’m all about saving the cash in this economy. If I can do it myself, I will!

Related: How to Make Echinacea Tincture: A Step-by-Step Guide

Medicinal Benefits of Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry syrup has been all the rage in the last decade for good reason. The berries have immune-enhancing properties, which is why many remedies mix them with echinacea. Echinacea is also great for stimulating the immune system when suffering from colds.

Elderberries have other medicinal benefits, such as:

• Strong antiviral properties
• Treats upper respiratory infections
• High in vitamin C and vitamin A
• Fights off bacterial infections
• Reduces the duration of a cold or the flu

These are just a few reasons elderberry belongs on your shelf throughout the cold and flu season.

Ingredients & Supplies Needed

There are a few things you need to get started. Most of these you should have around your house.

• Heavy-bottom pot, such as a Dutch oven
• Spoons
• Glass Jar
• Fine Mesh Strainer
• Cheesecloth

Then, here are the ingredients you’ll need. Most of these, you should have in your kitchen cabinets, OR they’re available at a grocery store nearby.

• 3/4 cup dried elderberries
• 1 TSP cinnamon powder OR 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 TSP dried ginger OR 1 TBSP dried ginger root
• 1 TSP dried cloves
• 1 cup raw honey
• 3 cups water

How to Make Elderberry Syrup

Start by placing your elderberries, water, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger into a heavy-bottomed pot. I use my Dutch oven. You’ll let the elderberries simmer for 30-45 minutes, so a heavy-bottomed pot will avoid your elderberries burning and sticking to the bottom.

That HAS happened to me before. Not fun wasting all of those dried elderberries!

Over the next 45 minutes, stir your elderberries a few times, making sure they aren’t sticking. You’ll notice the water begins to reduce. I end up with about 1 to 1.5 cups of liquid at the end of the simmering period.

After simmering, use a fine mesh strainer and remove the berries from the liquid. I strain into my glass measuring cup. Then, use two layers of cheesecloth to squeeze the berries and remove any liquid. The berries soak up the water, so you’ll up with less if you opt not to do this.

Once cooled, add the honey to the elderberry liquid. You want to avoid doing this when the liquid is hot since it will remove some of the medicinal benefits of raw honey.

Elderberry syrup is an immune-boosting liquid, so it is safe to take regularly as a preventative measure. Adults may take 1 TBSP per day, while kids take 1 TSP daily. If you’re sick, adults should take 1 TBSP up to 4 times daily. Children may take 1 TSP elderberry syrup up to 4 times daily. This recipe includes honey, so it’s not safe for infants under one year old.