DIY Elderberry Syrup That Tastes Good!
with esther Monroe
Session Notes
from the 2024 Modern Homesteading Conference
Welcome to The Session Notes series!
The Modern Homesteading Conference, produced by Homestead Living Magazine, is held annually in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Drawing attendees from around the country (and the world), it features 2½ days of presentations. Recognized leaders in the homesteading grassroots movement cover every imaginable topic of interest for homesteaders. For information regarding the 2025 conference see our RESOURCES PAGE.
Esther Monroe has loved plants since she was a child. She is a certified herbalist and a passionate homesteader who incorporates multiple methods of gardening at her family’s home, Esther’s Eden, near Athol, Idaho. She believes “The most healing Medicine comes from loving hands and the living earth.” You can find her blog as well as her online courses at www.estherseden.com
Esther Monoroe’s session on DIY Elderberry Syrup was near the top of my list for sessions to attend. I’ve a 20′ x 3-” elderberry patch that would be producing its first crop later in the year. I wanted to learn from an expert how to utilitze those berries later in the year as an immune booster. I was not disappointed!
Why Elderberry Syrup?
Elderberries contain high levels of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Bioflanoids, and Antioxidants; all of which are known for their immune boosting and disease fighting nature. Elderberry syrup and tea are most commonly known as a flu fighter and a cold fighter. However, its greatest value is boosting your health prior to a cold or flu.
Although this session is about elderberry syrup, it is good to know that the elderflower is very effective in combatting a cold or flu that has invaded your body. An elderflower tea, with a bit of peppermint added to offset any digestive discomfort, aids your body in building heat. Your body will work with any fever you have, causing you to sweat profusely, burning out the disease
Basic elderberry Information
Elderberry is nature’s medicine chest. All parts of the plant can be used: flowers and berries internally, leaves and small branches topically,and large stems for dyeing. You may have heard that it is toxic, but you need to know what parts of the plant and what varieties that applies to. There are three types of elderberries: Reds, Blacks, Blues.
- Reds: Highly toxic. Do not use. Commonly found in Canada and Alaska
- European Blacks: Almost anything you can buy in the American market is the imported European Black. This species is toxic if eaten raw, but is safe if cooked. That is why most DIY recipes for elderberry syrup are for using European Blacks. They require long boiling times, from 30 minutes to 60 minutes, or even longer to cut the toxicity. While stll valuable for boosting immunity, a lot of water soluble vitamins and other beneficial elements are lost through that process.
- American Blues: These only seem to grow well west of the Rocky Mountains. American Blues can be foraged in the wild or grown in a garden, although they are difficult to propogate. They have a lower toxicity level and can safely be processed by simmering, rather than boiling. This results in a much higher level of water soluble vitamins and nutrients.
- American Blacks: These bushes grow well across the United States. They can be foraged in the wild or grown in gardens. If you wish to grow them, the first year don’t let them flower so the bushes can focus on developing roots. Year two harvest the flowers to use in teas. Year three expect a great crop of berries. They also have a lower toxicity level and can be safely processed by simmering, rather than boiling.
why is this recipe so good?
A common remark regarding elderberry syrups from the grocery store, is that they just don’t taste good. Usually that is because the primary ingredient is a preservative. This alters the taste. It can be true of DIY elderberry syrup recipes as well, if they include some type of preservative such as brandy, vinegar or lemon juice. This recipe uses raw honey as a preservative because of its antimicrobial properties and sweetness.
There are a few elements of this recipe that make it stand out from other online recipes you may find. First, by using American Blues or Blacks the berries can be simmered for a short time then steeped, rather than boiled. This preserves the nutrients. Additionally, there are ingredients that boost the effectiveness of the syrup and that give it a great taste!
Making the syrup
1. Tools
You’ll need the following tools:
- Heavy bottomed stainless steel pan —No Aluminum!
- Fine tea strainer or “elderberry cloth” ( loosely woven material or cheesecloth for straining out small pieces)
- Bowl -little larger than your pan
- Metal spoon
- Funnel
- Bottles or jar
- Labels
- Apron — elderberries stain!
2. Ingredients
- 1/2 c elderberries fresh, frozen, or dried. (frozen will speed up prep time)
- 3 c filtered water
- 1 small Ceylon cinnamon stick (Ceylon cinnamon has stronger medicinal qualities)
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tsp dried ginger or 2 slices fresh ginger root
- 1 tsp rose hips
- 1 c raw local honey
3. Prep
Prep is very important because the berries need to be separated from any little pieces of stems. The stems contribute to toxicity. If you buy them from a store they should already be cleaned. If you harvest wild or home grown, you will need to do this step. Pour one cup eldeberries into your pan. Cover with 3 cups filtered water and let set for a few minutes. The stems will float to the top while the berries will stay on the bottom. With your fine strainer you can scoop out the stems and dispose of them ( compost ). There may be a few pieces of stems possibly left but they will be strained out later in the process.
4. Heat and add ingredients
Bring the water and elderberries to a boil. While it is heating add the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Once it is simmering, put a lid on the pan and continue the low simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cock the lid and allow it to steep another 15 minutes. Remove the lid to allow it to cool down. Add the rosehips. Allow it to cool further to hand -warm temperature.
5. strain
Line the strainer with the straining cloth or cheesecloth. Gently pour the liquid through the strainer. It will catch any remaining bits of stems and dried herbs. Let it set a few minutes, then gently press the residue to allow all the juice to run through. Just to be sure you’ve captured all the juice, press it until the pulp is dry enough to be pressed into a ball.
6. Add Honey
Once the juice is cooled to hand warmth–no more than 120 degrees, add the honey and stir until it is completely mixed in with the juice. This temperature preserves all the healthy attributes of the honey that highter temperatures would kill.
7. Bottle and store
Finally, set the funnel in the bottles or jar and pour your syrup, leaving a little headspace at the top. Screw on cap or lid and label. This syrup should last three to six months in your fridge. Another option is to portion the juice in ice cube trays and freeze. One cube can be thawed at a time for daily use.
Dosage and Esther's Tips
For daily immune boosting, 1 tsp for children and 1 TBSP for adults. If someone is battling a cold or flue that can be increased to 3 -5 times a day. Esther’s tip: the syrup can be sticky so an alternative to a spoon is to put the dosage in a shot glass. They’ll drink it right up!