Learn how to make elderberry syrup. This is quite the popular natural remedy these days, and for good reason! It’s not only great at helping boost your immune system, it’s also quite tasty!

You can buy pre-made bottles of elderberry syrup, however, it can be pretty expensive and it comes in small bottles that don’t last long. Making your own doesn’t take much time, and you get quite a bit of elderberry syrup to last all season long!

How to Make Elderberry Syrup

When it comes to natural remedies, the better tasting it is, the more likely I will take it and make it. Fortunately, elderberry syrup is delicious AND full of nutritious and medicinal benefits for my household. Let’s talk about how to make elderberry syrup.

Elderberry syrup is LOADED with medicinal benefits that can help you strengthen your immune system and help you get over sicknesses quicker. This delicious syrup is full of antioxidants, vitamins A, B, and C (loads of it!), anti-inflammatory properties, and anti-viral benefits.

There are countless recipes online, and I pored over them and combined them into my own concoction. 

Elderberry syrup is a great preventative AND curative. You can simply take 1-2 tbsp. of this delicious syrup daily to keep your immune system strong, and double it if you get sick. I prefer to take my Elderberry Syrup in herbal tea or juice, but you can also just eat it right off the spoon.

Obligatory note: I am not a doctor, please do your own research on ingredients and natural remedies for you and your family’s health. Talk to (holistic) doctors, etc. 

Let’s take a look at the Elderberry Syrup ingredients…

1. Elderberries: very high in Vitamin A and C, these berries have immune-enhancing properties that are even more effective when combined with echinacea.
2. Echinacea: this amazing super-herb boosts the body’s defenses against colds/flu/illness and is both a preventative and a curative. Even better, it is safe for children, the elderly, and everyone else too. Here’s a list of other ways to use Echinacea as a Natural Remedy.
3. Ginger: Ginger is also full of chemical compounds called ‘gingerol’ which are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral. It is also a great diaphoretic, so it opens the pores and promotes sweat (which helps with fevers). Learn more about the medicinal properties of Ginger in my other post.
4. Cinnamon: This delightful spice has antiviral and antiseptic properties, making it excellent at fighting infections. Learn more about the medicinal properties of Cinnamon here.
5. Cloves: Cloves are anti-inflammatory and antibacterial and thus helps fight bacteria and viruses in the body. Learn more about the medicinal properties of Cloves in this post.
6. Rose Hips: Rose hips contain more Vitamin C than almost any other herb or spice, and more than oranges too, if you compare them gram for gram! Since Vitamin C is full of antioxidants and disease-fighting properties, Rose hips are the perfect addition to an immune-boosting Elderberry syrup.
7. Raw Honey: Raw Honey is a superfood, full of anti-bacteria, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties as well as many, many other benefits. Learn more about raw honey here. 

Now that we’ve discussed the amazing medicinal qualities of Elderberry Syrup, let’s take a look at how easy it is to make this stuff!

[Updated 2018: My elderberry syrup recipe has been slightly edited to make it even better. It was great before, but the new edits (more honey to get it more syrupy and more cloves and rosehips) make it even more amazing!

How to Make Elderberry Syrup:

Ingredients:

•  4 cups Filtered Water
• 1 cup dried elderberries (find good quality ones here)
• 1/3 cup dried echinacea (find them here)
• Fresh ginger (2 inches, chopped and peeled)
• 2 cinnamon sticks (find them here)
• 1-2 tsp. whole cloves (find them here)
• 1-2 tsp. crushed dried rosehips (find them here)
• 1.5 cups raw honey

Directions:

1. Bring the water and all of the herbs and spices to a boil in an appropriately sized saucepan. Do NOT include honey yet!!!

2. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to keep whole spices from sticking to bottom of the pot.

3. After an hour, the liquid will be reduced in approximately half. Take the pot off the heat and uncover, and let it cool to room temperature. It must be room temperature before adding raw honey in order to keep the medicinal properties intact in the raw honey.

4. After the liquid has cooled to room temperature, strain with a wire mesh strainer (like this) into a jar (or two). Add the honey to the jar(s) and mix well. Taste and add more honey if desired.

Now what?

Now that you have Elderberry Syrup, here’s what you can do:

Store in resealable, airtight glass jars in your refrigerator. It will keep fresh and potent for 3-4 months. 

1. Use your Elderberry Syrup as a sweetener in your tea (herbal or otherwise). I often put it in my herbal tea for colds and the flu, so it’s like a double-attack against my illness.
2. Elderberry Syrup is also delicious in juice, I often put it in organic tart cherry juice (like this) with a dash of ginger ale for the carbonation. It’s SO good!
3. Take your Elderberry Syrup on a spoon like daily medicine. 
4. Drizzle Elderberry Syrup on your pancakes/waffles.
5. Trick your kids into getting their daily Elderberry Syrup by making these Healthy Gummy Snacks or these Gummies.
6. You can also trick your kids by making these Elderberry Popsicles.
7. You can experiment with your Elderberry Syrup in the kitchen with one of these delicious elderberry recipes!

Finally, if you are not in the mood to make your own Elderberry Syrup, you can buy a good-quality one like this.

Will YOU be making Elderberry Syrup this year?!?

Check out my list of Echinacea Natural Remedies for more preparation for cold/flu season!

Learn about the importance of digestive bitters for your health, too!