How To Make Elderberry Syrup

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My sister and I have been talking about making Elderberry Syrup for quite a while.  Elderberries have been used throughout history for a multitude of different things including colds and flu, fevers, and even burns and cuts.  Today, elderberries are used to boost the immune system against viruses.

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Last week, we made our very own Elderberry Syrup!  Woot! Our families are both quite happy with the results! My sis got this Elderberry Syrup recipe from our sweet friend Kari.

How To Make Elderberry Syrup

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You will need Elderberries, Echinacea, Rose Hips {all dried},  Ginger Root and Cinnamon Sticks.  These herbs are from Bulk Herb Store.  They seem to have reasonable prices and great products!

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Add to a small saucepan:

  • 1/4 cup dried elderberries
  • 2 T. dried rose hips
  • 2 T. dried echinacea (optional and you don’t want to add it every time)
  • 3/4 t. dried ginger root or 1 1/2 T. grated fresh ginger root
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup filtered water

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Bring to a boil, then let herbs simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes.  The water will reduce by half at this time.

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Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer into a bowl.  Press the mixture to squeeze out extra juice.  Discard the herbs.

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Let syrup cool in the bowl, until you can touch it…

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Then add 1/2 cup {remember I doubled mine!} of raw, local if possible, honey and stir well.

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Elderberry Syrup Recipe

  • 1/4 cup dried Elderberries
  • 2 tablespoons dried Rose Hips
  • 2 tablespoons dried Echinacea (optional)
  • 3/4 tsp. dried ginger root or 1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup filtered water
  • 1/2 cup raw honey

Bring first six ingredients to a boil, then let herbs simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes.  The water will reduce by half at this time. Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer into a bowl.  Press the mixture to squeeze out extra juice.  Discard the herbs. Let syrup cool in the bowl, until you can touch it…

Then add 1/2 cup {remember I doubled mine!} of raw, local if possible, honey and stir well.

Note: For children under one year old, honey isn’t recommended,  so you can use maple syrup, agave nectar etc in place of the honey.

Yield: Approximately 1/2 cup, so doubling is good if you’ll use more in a short period of time. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator.  The Elderberry Syrup should last up to two months.

Dosage: Children take 1-2 teaspoons a day.  Adults take 1-4 teaspoons a day.  If you are feeling sick, children should take 2 teaspoons and Adults 3-4 teaspoons.  Then one teaspoon a day for maintenance.

Stay well this Winter! 🙂

What is your favorite home remedy for colds and flu?

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40 Comments

    3. hi! I’m trying to find a recipe where I don’t have to use honey…I know honey is very beneficial, but I have a 2 year old who is diabetic, so I need no carb or extremely low carb options. Could I just use stevia??

      Thanks

      Reply

    1. Not to disagree, but I actually disagree. None of those things are dangerous during pregnancy – but illness itself sure is. Just my opinion, but if ladies don’t take precautions in pregnancy by doing natural things, they often end up taking things that actually are unsafe when they get sick – I’m completely opposed to pharmaceuticals during pregnancy.
      Lynnette´s last blog post ..Lazy Wednesdays Walk – Does Harrison know my name Find out!

      Reply

    2. Thanks girl for your comment. From the research that I’ve done, I think it’s most important that you use cooked, dried elderberries. The roots, bark, leaves and unripe berries have cyanide which could be poisonous for anyone. From what I understand that is the main concern with using elderberries when pregnant or breastfeeding… 🙂

      Reply

    1. Good for you Sarah…I’m going to come right over and check out your cold remedies. 🙂 It’s the season!

      Reply

  7. I LOVE the idea of making your own! I usually give the kids an elderberry tablet that they chew, but this would be so much better! Do you know if it tastes good enough for kids or is it a turn off because of the herbs? Also, do you know how many batches this will make? I’m looking at buying from the place mentioned (bulk herb store) but it only shows it in 1/2 lb sizes so I don’t know how much that is when it comes to measuring it out. Just trying to see if it will be more or less expensive than what we already use (though I know it is MUCH better!) Also, they are out of the echinacea. Can you use the root of that (which is in stock) or does it need to be the herb form?

    Thanks so much!!

    Reply

    1. @Tammy,
      Hi Tammy,
      I’m Kelly, Myra’s sister – just thought I could help answer your questions. The Elderberry syrup tastes great for adults and kids! I give it to my 1 year old and Myra gives it to her 2 year old. My husband even likes it and he’s not a huge fan of honey.

      There are about 2 cups of Elderberries in the 1/2 lb bag. So that would be 8 batches. The other herbs will last a long time since you only use a couple Tablespoons or teaspoons per batch.

      I’m not sure what to tell you about the Echinacea. I think the root would be fine, but it’s a lot more expensive. What you could do is make the syrup without Echinacea until they get it back in stock.

      Hope this helps! 🙂
      Kelly´s last blog post ..My Girl Is Walking!!

      Reply

  9. Kelly-YES, that did help a lot!! Thank you!!

    Now for a couple of more questions:)…

    Is there another place to get the echinacea or is that the best place? What about the raw honey? Do you get yours from that same site or just from the store? I’m excited to try to make this and hope that my kids like it! I really don’t like buying those chewable elderberry tablets for them!

    Reply

    1. Hi Tammy! You might also try Mountain Rose Herbs to find echinacea. The thing is…is that you don’t want to always use echinacea when you make it. Local honey is the best kind and we bought ours at a local market. Hope that helps girl! 😉

      Reply

  10. Thanks Myra! Bulk herbs had the echinacea back in when I checked a couple of days later…yay! Do you just make every other batch with it or even less than that? And what is the reason for not using it every time? Going tomorrow to try to find some local honey!

    Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try this!!

    Reply

  11. Hi Myra! I just “stumbled” upon your blog and love the idea of home made elderberry syrup. My sister and I use Elderberry Defense from Nature’s Sunshine and it really does help. We only use it if we’re starting to get a cold. It sounds like your family takes this on a regular basis to keep the colds away. I’ll check out our local health hut here and see if they stock the ingredients. Using local honey is interesting. What’s behind that choice? My son has seasonal allergies and started taking a spoonful of local honey about a year ago. His symptoms are less severe now.

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      1. @Myra, Thanks Myra. I’ll check out the link and when I get myself all settled in my new place I’ll try your recipe out and let you know the results!

        Reply

  12. Hi again Myra! I just made my second batch and can’t tell you how excited I am about finding this! Thanks again so much for posting about it! It feels so good to make my own instead of buying it:)

    I did have one more question though. For the single batch, it calls for 1/2 C honey but says that it yields approx. 1/2 C. I am getting about 3/4 C when added to the mixture (actually I do a double batch, so I’m getting 1 1/2 C, but if broken down, it’s 3/4C.) Anyway, is this about right or am I not letting it boil long enough to reduce the liquid enough.

    Thanks!!

    Reply

  13. Just wanted to ask, just to be sure, about the whole pregnancy thing? I typically order my elderberries from Vintage Remedies, but was going to try to do one large order at Bulk Herb, as I have ordered from them before, too. I normally make my elderberry syrup with cherry brandy, but because I am 10 weeks along, I’m thinking I should give this one a go. All my research says I’m good to use dried, cooked elderberry, just keep away from the rest, is that your opinion as well?

    Reply

  14. I just noticed (about 2 minutes too late) that the list of ingredients between the pictures and the ones above and below the pictures do not match entirely. I just put in 1 1/2 tablespoons of grated ginger root, only to read that it was supposed to be 1/2 tablespoon. AAHHH!! Hope it doesnt hurt! Just thought Id let you know so you could fix it. 🙂

    Reply

  15. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I have made this 2 times so far. Once when my kids had a very bad bug this past spring. My throat would get scratchy and my nose would start to run and I would have another spoon full of elderberry syrup. I never got sick! My daughter had developed a deep cough so I made a new batch. Her cough is gone now but I still have 1+ cups of liquid left. I have not mixed it with honey. (My daughter prefers it mixed with Orange Juice) so here is the question.

    Can I freeze these in ice cube trays for when they are needed? or will that ruin the potency?

    Reply

    1. Hi BJ! I’m so glad the elderberry syrup has helped! You could probably freeze the liquid, but I have no idea about potency. I’m so sorry I’m not more help!

      Reply

    1. I definitely think it’s cheaper to make. Obviously there’s initial investment, but over the long run, definitely less expensive!

      Reply

  18. Help! I’m new to this. Did I do something wrong in making this recipe? Is it suppose to stay liquid or set up more like a syrup after\when the honey is added, hence the reason for calling it a syrup? Mine I made lastnight is more like a juice. I tastes incredible this morning. But I thought, it would be thicker. Thank you for responding in advance.

    Reply

  20. Dont forget to add lemon juice to any elder berry recipe. ttyl im starting to make elder berry syrup now. 🙂

    Reply

  22. 1/2 c honey to the recipe listed, correct? 1 C. If the recipe is doubled. I just want to make sure I’m reading that right.

    Reply

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