Elderberry Syrup Recipe

I like making syrups because once you do the prep work you have a herbal mixture that you can take everyday for weeks. Syrups are a great preparation for kids. Actually the same holds true for adults. I use honey as the preservative and its easy to take your herbs encased in honey!

Syrups are decoctions in which the herbal liquid has been reduced in half and a form of preservative has been added. Honey, maple syrup, and sugar are the most common preservatives used in making syrups. In the past the ratio of sweetener to herbal mixture was 1:1 which preserved the mixture without refrigeration.

This is my favorite recipe for Elderberries. It is simple. (Of course you can just make a decoction and enjoy the elderberry tea in that way. You don’t have to make a syrup at all.)

I used my frozen berries as opposed to my dry berries this time as I had harvested a lot of elderberries in the Fall and I got tired of drying them so I froze them. Check out my previous post on harvesting Elderberries.

Honey, Dried Elderberries, Tablespoon measurement, Heat proof container, Strainer, Frozen Elderberries

Make a decoction which means placing the elderberries or herbs in a pan, adding water, bringing the water to a boil and then simmering for 20 minutes. Decoction preparations are used for dense plant material such as roots, seeds and berries.

Using frozen berries as opposed to dried berries means using using much more berries than the dried berries. I tripled the amount. I used 6 tablespoons as opposed to 2 tablespoon of dried berries for 2 cups of water.

Making a decoction. Add water, cover the pan, bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.
At this point you can just drink the decoction.
To make the syrup take the cover off, turn up the heat and reduce the liquid by half by steaming, not simmering, until the liquid evaporates in half.

The reduction process will seem to go slow in the beginning, but if you leave the kitchen and not pay attention the liquid will evaporate away and you will be left with a burned pan. I set a timer and keep checking the level by pouring the liquid in a heat proof measuring cup to see if the liquid has been reduced in half.

Strain out the elderberries.

Add the sweetener. The traditional ratio for syrup making is 1 part sweetener to 1 part herbal mixture. That is way too sweet for me. I use less sweetener with my elderberry syrup, I add 1/2 cup of honey to 1 cup of herbal mixture. The ratio is 1 part sweetener to 2 parts herbal mixture. I then make sure I refrigerator the syrup. It will last for months.

Adding honey to the elderberry mixture,
All set for the winter. Adding a dosage label helps people remember how much to take.

I take 1 Tablespoon of the syrup per day during the winter season. Elderberry is called a immunostimulant which means it helps the immune system do its job of maintaining our health and it works as a preventative of colds and the flu.