Today we’re sharing a recipe for Organic Elderberry Syrup. This shelf-stable elderberry syrup is apple cider vinegar based and takes several weeks to make but allows for a shelf-stable elderberry syrup to be available when you need it most.
All about Organic Elderberry Syrup
This Organic Elderberry Syrup is one of the best things to make to help keep you and your family healthy when cold and flu season arrives. Most elderberry syrup recipes have to be refrigerated and typically are only good for a couple of months once made or opened. We have made other elderberry syrup recipes but by the time we need them we would find they were no longer good.
This recipe uses organic apple cider vinegar to ferment organic elderberries. After this fermentation process, you heat more elderberries with your choice of spices and fruits to flavor the syrup to your liking. Then once it is cooled, you combine your fermented elderberry liquid, with the cooled heated liquid and raw local honey for sweetness. Then you store the syrup in clean canning jars that you vacuum seal. This allows the elderberry syrup to be shelf-stable for up to one year.
The great thing about this recipe is that you can make it your own. Use the ingredients that you can source or find, but find the best and cleanest ingredients you can source. Add other spices or flavors as you see fit to make the elderberry syrup your own. Also add as much honey as you need to your desired sweetness.
Many people swear by the use of elderberry syrup to support their immune systems and keep them healthy throughout times of sickness. Many take this syrup all year long while others choose to take the syrup only when they develop symptoms.
Organic Elderberry Syrup
This Organic Elderberry Syrup is shelf-stable for one year. It's made with organic elderberries, apple cider vinegar and raw local honey to keep you healthy through cold and flu season.
Ingredients
Step 1: Elderberry Fermentation
- 1 1/2 cups dried organic elderberries
- 3 cups organic apple cider vinegar
Step 2: Heating Elderberries and Spices
- 1 1/2 cups dried organic elderberries
- 8 cups water
- 2 cinnamon sticks or (1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon)
- 6 star anise or (1 teaspoon ground)
- 6 whole cloves or (1 teaspoon ground)
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- zest and juice of one lemon
- zest and juice of one orange
Step 3: Combine Elderberry Liquids and Honey
- 3 cups raw local honey
Instructions
Step 1: Elderberry Fermentation
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Soak 1 1/2 cups of dried elderberries and 3 cups of organic apple cider vinegar. This works well in quart sized jars. Cover with a piece of parchment paper before applying a metal lid. Let sit in a cool dark place for 2 weeks.
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After two weeks, strain the elderberry infused apple cider vinegar. Set this liquid aside.
Step 2: Heating Elderberries and Spices
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Boil 1 1/2 cups of dried elderberries and 8 cups of water. Add cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, ground ginger, juice and zest of lemon and orange. Let boil until liquid has reduced slightly.
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Once this liquid is cool, strain the liquid of the elderberries and whole spices.
Step 3: Combine Elderberry Liquids and Honey
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Combine both strained elderberry liquids with 3 cups of raw local honey. Bottle this elderberry syrup into glass jars or containers. Once completely cool, vacuum seal these jars or containers for longer term storage.
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This elderberry syrup is shelf-stable for one year. Once you open your jar, it's best to store in the refrigerator so that it doesn't go bad before you use it all up.
Recipe Notes
The recommended dose of elderberry syrup is 1-2 tablespoons daily for adults and 1-2 teaspoons daily for children over 1 year old. During times of illness, increase dosage to 3 times daily.
This syrup recipe is not suitable for infants under 1 year of age as it contains honey.
How long will this Organic Elderberry Syrup keep?
We typically make a new batch of this at the beginning of fall. This batch will last us through the cold and flu season and be available when we need it most. We vacuum seal the jars and this makes them shelf stable for one year. Once we open and start using a jar of elderberry syrup, we typically transfer this jar to the refrigerator if we don’t use it up quickly just so it doesn’t go bad.
We’d love to hear what you think about this recipe. Do you make or use elderberry syrup? Let us know in the comments below. Thank you for visiting Sunup to Sundown! Please subscribe, like or share this post with others who could benefit from it.
Can I do this with fresh elderberries
Hi Tammy,
We haven’t tried making this recipe with fresh elderberries yet, but it would definitely be worth a try. Most information says to use twice as many fresh elderberries as dried elderberries. If you try this recipe with fresh elderberries, please let us know how it turns out. This is information that would help others looking to make their own shelf-stable elderberry syrup with fresh elderberries.
Thank you,
Ashley Bilyeu
Hey 👋🏼
Should this be thick? I made it and it’s not…
Hi Tonya,
This Elderberry Syrup is not typically thick. You can add more honey to make it sweeter and sometimes this makes it a little bit thicker.
Thank you,
Ashley Bilyeu