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Home » Foraging » Berries and Fruits » How to Make Elderberry Syrup

How to Make Elderberry Syrup

By Hank Shaw on August 4, 2011, Updated June 23, 2020 - 111 Comments

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4.84 from 12 votes
how to make elderberry syrup
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Finished elderberry syrup recipe in a glass bowl
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Many people seem to know that elderberry syrup is good for you: It’s been clinically proven to help your immune system, and, well, it tastes nice. So how do you make elderberry syrup at home?

You need elderberries. Where I live in Northern California, they start coming ripe at the end of May, and depending on what state or province you live in you can find them somewhere all the way into November.

Making elderberry syrup is always the first thing I do with elderberries once they come ripe. Why? Because it’s so versatile. Uses for elderberry syrup include as a homemade soda base, a mixer for cocktails, an immune system booster, a base for elderberry ice cream, as a garnish for other ice creams, or as a glaze for poultry. Elderberry syrup is also great in a classic Cumberland sauce.

Making your syrup seems pretty intuitive. I mean, all you need are elderberries and sugar, right?

Well, yes. But my method for making the syrup is different from most others. Other recipes ask that you cook your elderberries, mash them with a potato masher and let them drain through a jelly bag. There is a problem with this.

You will never break all the berries with this method, and, given that it is a time-consuming and persnickety business to take all those elderberries off their stems — the stems are mildly toxic, by the way — you really want as much juice as you can get.

A better way is to use an immersion blender and a food mill to make short work of our little blue friends.

Works so well you can get twice as much yield from your elderberries. Twice, you say? Yes, twice. Most elderberry syrup recipes require you to add water to your boiling berries. I suppose that works fine, but with my method you don’t have to water down your berries to make a sufficient amount of syrup — unless you are in a serious drought.

Do it this way and you will get 3+ pints of elderberry syrup from 3 pounds of elderberries, as opposed to 2 pints from 2 pounds of elderberries with another 2 to 4 cups of water thrown in. Believe me, this is a huge flavor difference.

When they are on their stems, it is roughly equivalent to half a paper grocery bag. On a good year, that can take you all of 10 minutes to harvest. Destemming, however, will take an hour — if you are good at it.

Pouring freshly made elderberry syrup
Photos by Holly A. Heyser

Why make elderberry syrup? Aside from ice cream, wild game sauces, etc, you can use elderberry syrup:

  • As a sorbet base
  • In an Italian fruit mustard, a/k/a mostarda
  • As a flavoring for panna cotta or creme caramel
  • In a martini
  • As flavor for an Italian soda
  • On your pancakes

The possibilities are pretty endless. And since elderberries grow in most of the 50 states, as well as in Canada and most of Europe, there’s no reason you can’t go outside and get some yourself.

elderberry syrup recipe in a glass bowl
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4.84 from 12 votes

Elderberry Syrup

You will need at least a pound of elderberries for this recipe, and preferably three pounds, so you have enough to last a while. I use a food mill to extract as much juice as I can from the berries, but if you don't have one you can use a jelly bag. I am pretty cavalier about my canning practices with syrups, as they are so sugar-dense they are incredibly resistant to bacteria. I don't bother to sterilize my equipment, although I do make sure everything is freshly cleaned, and I do use a brand-new canning lid. If you feel the need to process your syrup in a boiling-water bath, 10 minutes will be more than enough.
Prep Time45 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time55 mins
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Servings: 3 pints
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds elderberries destemmed
  • 4 cups sugar

Instructions

  • You will need to remove the berries from the stems; elderberry stems are toxic. (I go through some tricks on destemming elderberries here.) It should take you about 45 minutes to an hour to destem 3 pounds of elderberries, which equates to about a half a normal paper grocery bag.
  • At this point you can empty your berries into a large bowl of ice water. Weird debris will float, like dead flower husks, bugs, etc. Pour this off.
  • Pour the elderberries into a large pot and either mash them thoroughly with a potato masher, or, better yet, with an immersion blender. Only break up the berries for a few seconds using the immersion blender, and use it on low setting. You don't want to grind up the seeds, which are bitter.
  • Bring the elderberries to a boil, stirring often. Now, if you are using a food mill, set it up with its finest plate and pour the elderberries into it. Run the food mill until the mash is pretty dry, then squeeze out any remaining elderberry juice. You should have a little more than 1 quart. Pour the juice through your finest mesh sieve to catch any stray seeds or pulp.
  • If you are using the jelly bag method, mash the berries again after they've boiled, then pour them into a jelly bag suspended over a large bowl. Let this drain for 1 to 2 hours. You should have a little less than 1 quart. You don't need to strain the juice the way you do with the food mill method.
  • Return the juice to the (cleaned) pot and add an equal volume of sugar, normally about 4 cups. Bring to a boil until it froths, skim the froth, then turn off the heat and pour into clean jars. Always use a new canning lid when you are making this syrup, unless you plan on eating it in the next few weeks. Seal the jars and let stand until the lids pop. They will keep for a year on the shelf or in the fridge.

Notes

NOTE: Elderberry syrup is best kept refrigerated. It will last a year this way. 
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Filed Under: Berries and Fruits, Foraging, How-To (DIY stuff), Recipe

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for Cheryl BartoszekCheryl Bartoszek says

    April 29, 2022 at 10:37 am

    I recently panted three Sambucus in zone 9b Florida. Your syrup recipe is the best I’ve read and really prepares me for a day in the kitchen. But so worth it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Oceans of joy to you. Cheryl

    Reply
  2. Avatar for MonicaMonica says

    November 20, 2021 at 11:05 am

    I have used this recipe several times, but this year the syrup seemed to gel (like a jelly). I’m not sure if that’s a bad sign, or if it’s fine? I did use an immersion blender which I think broke the seeds a bit more than usual which might have released more pectin – it is slightly bitter compared to last years but it’s not a bad flavor. I’m assuming it’s okay because elderberry pie is made with whole berries, seeds and all. Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • Avatar for MonicaMonica says

      November 20, 2021 at 11:31 am

      I also added citric acid for flavor and preservation, which might have also encouraged gelling.

      Reply
  3. Avatar for DorianDorian says

    October 1, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    Made and canned my first batch in years using this method, turned out great. Used a fork to strip the berries with good success, then picked out any bits of stem that popped off.

    Thanks Hank!

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Shelli CShelli C says

    August 20, 2021 at 9:29 pm

    Excellent method and recipe! Thank you. This year, I’m experimenting with adding fresh hibiscus (rose of Sharon and swamp mallow) flowers to thicken my syrup a bit more, and to add an extra health bump to my syrup. I simply make my syrup, then while still hot, add a handful of flowers, stir, cover and let cool before straining.

    It adds a bit more viscosity and seems to be working out very well.

    I think any member of the edible mallow plant family should work. I have Rose of Sharon and Swamp Mallow in abundance here in Ohio.

    Any thoughts on my experiment are very welcome
    SC

    Reply
  5. Avatar for bobbiebobbie says

    August 7, 2021 at 4:04 pm

    I rinse elderberries and lay them out on parchment paper in the freezer. Once frozen, the majority shatter off the stems easily. The rest are still pretty easy to get off. Saves a ton of time

    Reply
    • Avatar for tammy capotammy capo says

      September 3, 2021 at 5:21 pm

      Now why didn’t I think of that.

      Reply
  6. Avatar for LindaLinda says

    July 6, 2021 at 4:55 pm

    On starting and ending ratios….YMMV depending on how “juicy” your berries are. It’s dry here in Los Gatos. They’re small and already starting to raisin out despite the first berries being ripe for maybe 2 weeks?

    Started with 3 lbs 0.1 oz of destemmed berries
    Washed and skimmed off some floaty stuff

    Everything into stainless put and then used the immersion blender technique. Wow. That was awesome. No added water.

    Brought to a boil and then turned down and simmered a bit.
    Then used the fine screen on my food mill.

    ~3-1/4 cups remained

    Passed through fine muslin (ugg, not sure I’ll do that again! messy!). Next time I’ll just use a fine screened conical strainer.

    I probably had 3 C at the end so I just used 3 C of sugar.
    Boiled again (no scum!) and then into clean jars.

    The color is intense!

    Advise: wear black while cooking. The purple winds up everywhere if you’re not careful! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Avatar for VickieVickie says

    August 6, 2020 at 4:24 pm

    Hi, if you don’t do a water bath with them, do you put any lemon juice in them to keep them on the shelf and not in the refrigerator

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      August 6, 2020 at 5:25 pm

      Vickie: You don’t need to for preservation, but I do add lemon or fruit fresh for flavor. The fact that you mix elderberry juice + lemon juice with an equal amount of sugar make this shelf stable. If you use less sugar, it will not be stable.

      Reply
      • Avatar for LaurenLauren says

        August 12, 2020 at 1:18 pm

        If I reduce the amount of sugar (1/4″ cup sugar for 1 cup juice), and then use the water bath canning method to preserve the juice, will they still be shelf stable?

      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        August 12, 2020 at 1:33 pm

        Lauren: I have no idea. Maybe not, unless you acidify them with citric acid. But you can reduce the sugar and keep the jar in the fridge, where it will last for several months.

  8. Avatar for AmandaAmanda says

    October 4, 2019 at 2:14 pm

    Great recipe and super simple. Elderberries grow by the truck load up and down the dirt roads were we live in northeastern Washington. To about a gallon of elderberries, I added the last of the black currants from the garden, and a quart of frozen huckleberries from last year. I also used a Mehu-Liisa steam juicer (got it a yard sale years ago and it’s one of my favorite food preservation tools). Yummers! (Oh, and I’ve canned jam for nearly 40 years and never put it in a canner – we just do what you do here. Easy.)

    Reply
  9. Avatar for SarahSarah says

    August 25, 2019 at 8:35 pm

    So, no water bath..just sealing in hot jars? Same goes for high altitude?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      August 26, 2019 at 8:25 am

      Sarah: If the syrup is 1:1 sugar to juice, no need to water bath. If it is less, you need to or it will ferment.

      Reply
  10. Avatar for Elizabeth LuskElizabeth Lusk says

    May 30, 2019 at 4:44 am

    How would you recommend making with dried elderberries?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      May 30, 2019 at 7:49 am

      Elizabeth: I would make the syrup of water and sugar, then steep the dried berries in the hot syrup over night.

      Reply
      • Avatar for Nicole TorresNicole Torres says

        August 18, 2021 at 5:46 pm

        If using dried berries, after steeping in the hot syrup overnight, would it be best to use the immersion blender & then strain it out or simply strain the berries out whole? Just looking to get the most out of the berries.

      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        August 24, 2021 at 1:46 pm

        Nicole: I would just strain the whole berries. If you grind them the syrup will be filled with bits. If this doesn’t bother you, it will be fine from a safety perspective.

  11. Avatar for Tina ProTina Pro says

    May 25, 2019 at 4:33 pm

    Love the idea of freezing then first, then shaking the berries of. I will certainly try this with my harvest.

    Reply
  12. Avatar for Paprika ClarkPaprika Clark says

    January 20, 2019 at 2:43 pm

    I love your approach, thank you for sharing your invaluable hands on experience. I started making syrup from this recipe four years ago, and since then syrup making in elderberry season has become a family tradition. I hope you don’t mind I reference you as a source in my recent post about it.

    Reply
  13. Avatar for RamonaRamona says

    June 6, 2018 at 3:04 pm

    I have another trick for you. Shove the bag of elderberry stems into the freezer. When the little berries are frozen hard I just whack the stems against the side of a bowl and they come off the stem right away. So instead of picking little berries off the stems for 45 minutes, you can get it all done in about 10 minutes.

    Reply
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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw. I am a James Beard Award-winning author and chef and I focus my energies on wild foods: Foraging, fishing, hunting. I write cookbooks as well as this website, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild game, fish, or edible wild plants and mushrooms, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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