My Favorite Elderberry Syrup Recipes for Immune Protection

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I’ve compiled two of my favorite easy-to-make Elderberry Syrup recipes. There is a lot of uncertainty about COVID-19 and it’s important to do what you can to stay healthy. We can empower ourselves with time-tested remedies backed by science. Let me know if you have any questions and how yours turns out!

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Godmother of American Herbalism’s Recommended Elderberry Syrup

4 cups dried elderberries

¼ ounce freshly grated gingerroot

½ teaspoon ground cloves

Honey

Combine dried berries with 8 cups of water. Cook over low heat with the lid slightly ajar so that steam can escape, until the water is reduced by half. Strain, add the ginger and clove, and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid reduces to about half its original volume. Pour the juice into a measuring cup and note its volume, then return to the pot. Add the same amount of honey and stir until thoroughly combined. Let cool, then bottle. Store in the refrigerator, and use within 12 weeks.

(Recipe above)

To Use: To treat or fight off a cold or flu, take 1 to 2 tablespoons several times throughout the day.

Variations: Adding elder flowers to the syrup introduces a diaphoretic property, helping you to “sweat out” a fever. After cooking down the juice with the ginger and cloves, you can turn off the heat, add ½ cup dried elder flowers to the hot juice, put the lid on, and let infuse for 20 minutes. Then strain the flowers from the syrup and proceed with the honey.

“This may be one of the better elderberry syrup recipes on the planet. It’s graciously shared by my friends Nancy and Michael Phillips, the authors of The Herbalist’s Way. Delicious enough to use just for sheer flavor alone, elderberry syrup is also helpful for warding off or speeding recovery from colds and flus.” - Rosemary Gladstar

TEXT AND RECIPE EXCERPTED FROM ROSEMARY GLADSTAR’S MEDICINAL HERBS: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE © 2012 BY ROSEMARY GLADSTAR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Darcey Blue’s High-Potency Elder Syrup

This recipe comes from herbalist Darcey Blue from Blue Turtle Botanicals in Arizona. Darcey feels that heating the berries for a long time weakens the potency of elderberry. It’s a 1:2 infusion of herbs preserved with honey and alcohol.

Darcey Blue’s High-Potency Elder Syrup

This recipe comes from herbalist Darcey Blue from Blue Turtle Botanicals in Arizona. Darcey feels that heating the berries for a long time weakens the potency of elderberry. It’s a 1:2 infusion of herbs preserved with honey and alcohol.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup dried elderberries

  • 2 tbls dried elderflowers

  • 2 tsp ginger chips (or grated fresh ginger)

  • 1 tsp cinnamon chips

  • 4 oz boiling water

  • 2 oz 100 proof vodka*

  • 1/4 to 1/2 lemon, juiced

  • ~4 oz raw honey or sugar

Directions:

  1. Mix all the dried herbs together in a jar.

  2. Pour boiling water over the herbs, add the alcohol.

  3. Cap and let infuse 8 hours or overnight.

  4. In a muslin, jelly bag, or cheesecloth strain the herbs from the liquid.  Squeeze gently to get as much fluid from the herbs as possible.

  5. Add the lemon juice.

  6. Measure out exactly how much liquid you have in a glass measuring cup.

  7. Add an equal amount of raw honey or sugar to the liquid.  Mix well until sugar dissolves.

  8. Bottle and store

*This is for a shelf-stable syrup. For a fridge-stable syrup, you can use 1 oz of 80 proof vodka or brandy instead.

You could also substitute sugar (a better preservative) for the honey, same proportion.

Recommended Dosage: 1-3 tsp per day all season long, or 1/2 tsp hourly in acute illness. If you’re using a dropper bottle, 1 tsp = about 4-5 

TEXT AND RECIPE EXCERPTED FROM MARIA NOEL GROVES, RH (AHG) OF WINTERGREEN HERBALS AND AUTHOR OF GROW YOUR OWN HERBAL REMEDIES

Let me know if you have any questions about substitutions. Many recipes call for fresh berries—these allow you to purchase the dried berries (I like Frontier or Mountain Rose Herbs brands) and prepare it with common pantry ingredients. And if all else fails: here is my go-to elderberry syrup for purchase. ;)

*Services and information provided are restricted to consultation and education and are intended to provide information to promote wellbeing and to empower you to mobilize your own innate healing abilities. It is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Consult with your healthcare practitioner.