What even is traditional elderberry syrup? I wouldn’t have be able to tell you a few years ago, but then, I decided to try it and never looked back.
This syrup came to me when one of my kids had a bad cold, as I read that elderberry was a superfood that helped treat colds and flu. Now, though, I use this syrup in any drink or cocktail, and even in making sweet desserts.
Try Traditional Elderberry Syrup For A Health Boost
Get your fruit ready, and let’s start cooking!
For this tasty and thick syrup, I use fresh or frozen elderberries. If you don’t have fresh ones, you can use the dried kind too, but make sure you halve the amount because they are much sweeter and thicker.
I also use honey as a sweetener, but you can use any other type you like. Some good alternatives are corn syrup, brown sugar, molasses, or granulated sugar.
First, I cook my elderberries to get them soft and release the flavor. This whole process takes about one hour and the berries are reduced to about half. I then strain the liquid and get rid of the elderberries, as this will be the syrup juice you use.
If you have cooked syrup before, then you know it only takes a few minutes. All I do is pour the elderberry liquid back to the stockpot, then I stir in honey, and simmer until the liquid becomes thick.
Remember to keep your jars ready in the stockpot for easiness and safety. Once the syrup is in, I allow the jars to process and cool.
This syrup is great as a flu remedy, in drinks like lemonade, or cool whiskey cocktails.
Make this traditional elderberry syrup any time and keep it in your refrigerator for up to 6 months, enjoying it any time you feel down or sick, or simply when you want to experiment with a new drink.
Traditional Elderberry Syrup
Ingredients
6 cups (768 g) fresh elderberries
6 cups (1.4 L) water
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) raw honey
Directions
- Mix elderberries with water in a stockpot then bring to boil on medium heat.
- Cover pot, reduce heat then simmer until the liquid is reduced to half, about 1 hour.
- Remove from heat.
- Using a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth, strain liquid in a large bowl.
- Dispose elderberries then rinse stockpot thoroughly.
- Pour berry liquid back to stockpot.
- Add honey then bring to simmer over low heat.
- Stir continuously until honey dissolves.
- Gently ladle syrup into quart (approx. 1L) jars.
- Apply lid then adjust to fingertip-tightness.
- Let jars cool for 12-24 hours.
- Store in refrigerator for up to 6 months.
