Elderberry Syrup with Honey is easy to make, and a wonderful thing to have on hand to Support your family’s immune systems.

Elderberry is something that I like to keep on hand in my natural home “medicine cabinet”. One way to have it around at a lower cost, is to make your own with this elderberry syrup recipe with honey.

It is safe and delicious for the whole family, but not only delicious, it’s loaded with immune boosting goodness! I find that when we take this regularly during cold and flu season it really seems to help us fend off bugs. Also it’s just plain yummy.

Making my own has saved us quite a bit of money, as buying it in the bottle can get a little expensive.

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elderberry syrup recipe using dried elderberries

Someday I would love to grow my own berries, but for now, I order dried ones and that works wonderfully.

Elderberries are packed with antioxidants and properties that boost the immune system.

If you do a little google searching, it’s not hard to find out a lot of interesting things about the berries.

Some info I’ve gathered is that elderberries appear to have been cultivated for thousands of years for medicinal purposes.

They have also been found to shorten the duration and relieve the symptoms of the flu and common cold. Check this study out.

How to Make Elderberry Syrup with Honey

Elderberry Syrup Recipe with Honey

1 cup dried elderberries
4 cups water
1 teaspoon cinnamon or 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks
3/4 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon ground ginger or 2 Tablespoons fresh, chopped ginger
1/2 to 1 cup raw honey (depending on how sweet you want it to be)

Simmer all ingredients except honey together in a covered saucepan for about 1 hour. (Gently simmer on a low heat.)
Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. You want it still warm enough that the honey will dissolve easily, but not so hot that it will kill all the beneficial goodies in the raw honey.
Strain berries and particulates from syrup. ( I like to use a mesh strainer with a paper towel inside, over a bowl with a pour spout.)
Add honey and mix until dissolved.
Pour into storage container of your choice.

Scroll down below for a printable version of the recipe!

making your own elderberry syrup from scratch

Elderberry Syrup Tips

Stores well in fridge for about a month. Freezes beautifully.
I sometimes use dried ginger, but when I have it, I love to use fresh! It smells wonderful!
I like to keep a bottle in the fridge and some extra in the freezer. This recipe makes a good sized batch, so I usually divide it in half.
My bottle shown here is an old, glass salad dressing bottle that I washed thoroughly and scrubbed the label off of. If you pay attention, a lot of nice jars and bottles come through the house that can be cleaned and reused for things like this! And a little tip for getting of yucky labels is to use a drop or two of lemon essential oil. Citrus oils are very good at dissolving petrochemicals and can make quick work of a yucky sticker! If it needs a little extra oomph, a metal scouring pad like an S.O.S pad and little elbow grease will have that sticky goo off in no time!
Thieves Vitality essential oil, added to the syrup when it is cool, is a great way to add extra immune support! (I like to make it this may for us adults, but I give my little kids the plain elderberry.)

How To Use Your Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe with honey

This doesn’t need exact dosing, it is a food that people have been eating for a very long time in jellies, pies… In beverages and over pancakes and ice cream etc. I feel comfortable with taking a tablespoon or so a day as a preventative, and upping the dose when sick or needing a boost.
My kids love to take this, I give it to them in little, tiny pottery cups and they guzzle it right down!
You can also add some to a smoothie or into hot tea!

Print the Recipe:

Make your own elderberry immune support syrup with dried berries

Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dried elderberries
4 cups water
1 tsp cinnamon or 1 or cinnamon sticks
3/4 tsp ground clove
1 tsp ground ginger or 1-2 Tbs fresh, chopped ginger
1/2-1 cup raw honey it can be any level of sweetness you desire. The berries aren’t very bitter, so it doesn’t have to take a ton

Instructions

Simmer all ingredients except honey together in a covered saucepan for about 1 hour. (Gently simmer on a low heat.)
Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. You want it still warm enough that the honey will dissolve easily, but not so hot that it will kill all the beneficial goodies in the raw honey.
Strain berries and particulates from syrup. ( I like to use a mesh strainer with a paper towel inside, over a bowl with a pour spout.)
Add honey and mix until dissolved.
Pour into storage container of your choice.