I came across some dried elderberries in my cupboard, which reminded me that it’s time to prepare for the winters sniffles.

So I found an elderberry syrup recipe at Mountain Rose Herbs and was very surprised how delicious it tastes. And even though I’m only supposed to take 1-2 tsp a day, I have a problem limiting myself to that.
I’m already and elderberry syrup addict.

Elderberries are one of my autumn and winter remedies to help me get through the flu season strong and healthy.
Elderberries are quite special. I also wrote a post about the amazing health and immune boosting properties of elderberries.

Elderberry Syrup Recipe

With a very little time investment, you can make this beautiful elderberry syrup.

Note that this recipe is "refrigerator stable” because it’s made with honey.
If you want to make a shelf-stable syrup (i.e., one you can keep at room temperature), you'll need to add extra sugar or alcohol to keep it mold and bad bacteria-free.

Makes about 3 cups of syrup
Active Time: 45 min.
Total time incl. steep time: 1 hour 45 min.

Props

A pot* (Use a ceramic, glass, or another non-reactive pot that won't off-gas. Avoid pots with synthetic nonstick coatings).
Mason jar
Funnel
Cheesecloth (double layer), undyed muslin, or check your local fabric store for rolls of undyed muslin.

Ingredients

2 cups dried organic elderberries
4 cups cold water (distilled, purified, or spring water works best)
2-3 tsp. organic dried ginger root
1 organic sweet cinnamon stick
1 cup raw, local honey (or organic maple syrup or agave for a vegan/infant-friendly recipe); double the amount of sweetener to increase shelf life

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

Elderberries. You can use fresh or dry elderberries. The dry ones are easier to find all year. So that's what I use.

Honey. Honey is best for sniffles and very soothing for the throat. Raw honey is the most nutritious. Add the raw honey after the syrup has cooled to keep the good stuff.

Important: Honey is not safe for children under 1-year-old. If you're planning to share your syrup with a very little one, you would need to substitute either sugar or maple syrup for the honey.

Using honey as a preservative makes the syrup only "refrigerator stable." If you want to make a shelf-stable syrup (i.e., one you can keep at room temperature), you'll need to add extra sugar or alcohol to keep it mold and bad bacteria-free.

Ginger has a warming effect. When you feel like you're getting under the weather, ginger has this dispersing quality, which is very lovely in a syrup.

Water. Remember that your finished herbal product is only as good as what you start with. The ingredients matter - that includes water. The water should be clean, filtered water, or good spring water.

Cinnamon contains antioxidants with anti-inflammatory effects.

The distinctive smell and flavor of cinnamon come from the essential oils contained in the bark, called cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamaldehyde displays antiviral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties.

THIS IS YOUR BASICS FOR MAKING SYRUPS

Use 1 ounce of elderberries for every 4 ounces of water.
Simmer 30 min.
Steep one hour
Strain
Add 50% honey

Here's your step by step guide

Combine berries and herbs with cold water in a pot.
Let it come to a boil.
Turn down the heat.
Let simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on (keep an eye on it).
Turn the heat off and let it steep for one hour. The longer it simmers and steeps, the more you pull the good stuff into the water.
Strain your syrup into a jar. It's probably still pretty hot so if you want to squeeze, make sure you wear gloves (or leave the lid off for half an hour prior).
Measure how much liquid you have. If you have 16 ounces of finished syrup, you add 8 ounces of honey (or sugar or maple syrup)
If using raw honey, cool the syrup to almost room temperature to keep all the good natural enzymes in the honey - under 38°C / 100 °F.
Stir gently to combine
Put a sticker on your jar with the name ("elderberry syrup") and date on it.
Keep it in the fridge.
Enjoy one or two teaspoons a day straight out of the fridge as a daily nourishing beverage to take you through the sniffle season and the long winter months.