Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Elderberry syrup is such a wonderful remedy to have on hand for the cold and flu season, for respiratory conditions, and for a fun, healthy mocktail addition! The recipe below is my modification from an original recipe by herbalist Alberto Carbo. I love adding the warming herbs of ginger and cinnamon, since elderberry alone can be cooling to the system.

Elderberry syrup

·      1 cup dried elderberry

·      1 cup ginger root sliced

·      ¼ cup cinnamon chips

·      2 tsp clove dried

·      1-2  tbsp dried thyme

·      6 cups cold filtered water

·      Honey (ratio of 1 part honey to 2 parts decoction)

Instructions:

Make the decoction

1. Add packet of ingredients, ginger and the water to a soup pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer.

2. Be attentive to the water and turn down the heat just before it boils, otherwise the contents of the pot will rise, and overflow onto the stove. Bring down the heat to medium/medium-low and cover the pot. Maintain a gentle and constant simmer.

3. Occasionally, remove the lid and stir the mixture, pushing down any plant matter that is coating the side of the pot.

4. The water will slowly evaporate, and the level of the water will lower in the pot. Reduce the water by half.

5. Once the water reaches halfway up to its original level in the pot, remove from heat. Let cool slightly.

6. Set a bowl up on the counter with your strainer and either cheesecloth or a nut milk bag in the strainer.

7. Empty all the contents of the soup pot into the cheesecloth/nut milk bag. The strainer will hold it in place, above the liquid while you use both hands to hold the pot and scrape the contents into the strainer. Be careful not to burn yourself.

8. Once you have emptied the pot, use a wooden spoon to gently squeeze the strained plant material in the strainer, squeezing as much liquid out of it as possible.

9. Set the strainer aside in another clean bowl. The liquid will continue to drain from the hot plant material. Once it has cooled (10-15 minutes), you will be able to squeeze the strained plant material and get more liquid out of it, which you can later add to the other bowl.

Make the syrup:

10. Pour appropriate amount of honey (1 part honey to 2 parts decoction) into the bowl of strained decoction while constantly mixing the liquid to incorporate the honey. You can add more honey to taste.

11. Keep stirring until the honey is dissolved.

12. Once the contents in the strainer have cooled, squeeze them once again to extract as much purple liquid as possible, and add it to the syrup.

13. Once cooled, store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

14. Dosing from Alberto Carbo, herbalist:

    • 1 tsp 2 X per day (morning and evening) as a tonic.

    • 1 tsp 2 – 3 X per day at the first signs of acute respiratory infection, until symptoms resolve

    • 1 tsp 4 – 5 X per day during an acute respiratory infection that has taken hold

    • For kids, especially young kids, I use the same dosage as above, but ¼ tsp. 

Note: Although this is a medicinal syrup, you can certainly add it to food like pancakes or yogurt. Or make a mocktail with 1-2 tbsp elderberry syrup and sparkling water; garnished with a lemon slice. Enjoy!