Elderberry Syrup

This is my go-to recipe for elderberry syrup every year, which I’ve tweaked over time to suit my taste. You can add in any other fresh or dried herbs & botanicals so feel free to play around with different flavours and quantities depending on your needs.

This is a delicious and nutrient dense syrup that you can take regularly throughout the winter to up your antioxidant intake. I take it by the spoonful every morning but you can also spread it on toast, dilute it into a warm drink or drizzle it on porridge or yoghurt. It’s a lovely tonic to have on hand and it keeps for about 3 months in the fridge.

I find elderberries are best to work with after being frozen first for 24hrs. This sweetens them up a bit and makes them easier to remove from the stems. You can use a fork to comb through the stems and scrape the berries off. All other parts of the elder tree are toxic so you want to ensure you remove all traces of stem and stalk. The berries themselves are toxic when raw but safe to consume once cooked.

Please note that if you do not consume honey you can replace it with molasses or maple syrup, however, the honey acts as a preservative and omitting it will alter its shelf life significantly.

It is also possible to used dried elderberries and I have added in the quantities if you wish to do so.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of fresh or frozen elderberries or 2/3 of a cup of dried elderberries

• 3.5 cups of water

• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

• 1 lemon cut into quarters

• 1 piece of licorice root

• 3 cinnamon sticks

• 4 inches of fresh chopped and peeled ginger

• 1 tbsp of dried orange peel

• 1 tbsp of dried rosehips

• 1 tsp of cloves

• 1 cup of raw honey

Method

• De-stem your elderberries and remove all traces of stalk and stem.

• Put all of your ingredients except for the honey in a big pot. Bring to a low boil then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately one hour, stirring occasionally.

• When the liquid has reduced by half and it has a thick syrupy texture, remove from the heat and allow it to cool to touch temperature.

• Once cooled down, mash the elderberries well using a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon.

• Strain out your liquid into a large bowl using a fine mesh sieve or a muslin cloth. (Preferably one you don’t mind getting stained!)

• Allow the liquid to cool completely and then stir in your raw honey and mix well.

• Pour into a sterilised jar and store in the fridge. Your syrup should last about 3 months in the fridge.