Benefits of Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry is a powerhouse herb that has amazing effects on the immune system. Elderberry syrup was actually used to treat the flu in the 90s by mainstream medical professionals! It is not too often that we find an herbal remedy that is well-supported not only in research but also in anecdotal use with medical professionals.

What is Elderberry?

Elderberries are part of a group of flowering plants called the Sambucus genus. Not all types of elderberries are safe. Most readily available dried elderberries and pre-made supplements are typically the safe type for use with your family as long as you follow the dosing recommendations on the packaging or ask your health care provider. The plants themselves are quite beautiful. We use elderflowers in tea and water kefir and they have several medicinal benefits too.

What Makes Elderberry Syrup So Powerful?

There are many powerful components in elderberries including antioxidants, vitamins A, B, C and proteins that protect cells from infection. These components act upon the immune system to strengthen its response to infectious organisms.

Other Health Benefits of Elderberry

Components found in elderberries are thought to reduce inflammation in the body and in the mucous membranes. This action is effective in relieving all sorts of respiratory symptoms like congestion and coughing associated with illness and allergies. Several studies have been done on elderberries and their ability to shorten the length of the flu. One study found elderberry shortened the flu by three days and another found it could kill the H1N1 virus in the lab setting (meaning, they didn’t test it on humans). Are you convinced now that elderberry syrup is a must have for the Crunchy Super Mom's remedy cabinet?

Forms of Elderberry  

There are many forms of elderberry available. We purchase dried elderberries and make our own tea with the elderflowers and syrup with the elderberries. I also make an incredibly potent master tincture with elderberries. In fact, I prefer the tincture to elderberry syrup!

Elderberry Capsules

When my family is sick, I reach for the elderberry capsules I have stored in my natural medicine cupboard. I do find the syrup to be incredibly effective in staving off colds and illnesses when we have been exposed to germs or when we head off the sickness really early on. However, I find my tincture and the elderberry capsules to be far more effective in fighting off the illness when it has fully taken hold. We used capsules to ward off several colds and to help us get over Influenza A. Elderberry is known to be a bit of a laxative in frequent doses, so be aware of how it affects you and your family. The potency of the capsules requires less frequent doses for the same effect and that makes them a better fit for me at times.

Elderberry Lozenges

The elderberry and zinc lozenges are great for those suffering from itchy throat--especially the hay fever or allergy induced kind! There are plenty of varieties of homemade or purchased lozenges but the zinc/elderberry type are helpful when you want to reduce swelling in the mucous membranes (i.e. when you have allergies, a lingering cough post illness or severe congestion and an unproductive cough). We tend to stick to the brand we can get on Thrive Market. The dosage of elderberry (plus zinc) found in the lozenge is potent enough that you might consider dissolving a lozenge once or twice a day when you feel run down or particularly vulnerable to illness. 

Elderberry Master Elixir

My most favorite way to use elderberry is in elixir form. WARNING: My recipe is written for a family of 5. The dry herbs aren’t overly expensive but the honey and alcohol will add up--so if you aren’t committed to using this elixir just yet, please make it in a smaller batch. I buy my herbs in bulk so it makes sense for me to make one batch every year vs. making it multiple times per year. This recipe fits nicely in a ½-gallon. You can halve the recipe if you would like. My family goes through about ⅔ of the ½ gallon recipe once it is strained. The alcohol and honey both help preserve the mixture. You could probably use glycerine instead but I have no experience with that. This is one of the few alcohol-based elixirs or tinctures that I do use with the kids. I use it because IT WORKS! If you don’t use a ½-gallon jar, I would recommend mixing the dry herbs in a bowl and transferring them. PS: there are lots of uses for the herbs and spices in this recipe so I would go ahead and order all of them in the 1-lb size to get the best price. Juniper berries ground with sage, thyme, sea salt, basil, and oregano is delicious on chicken!

Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry syrup is easy enough to make so it doesn’t make much sense to purchase it. I have found little difference between homemade and store-bought. I make mine without any natural preservatives so I must make it often or freeze it.

Elderberry Syrup Recipe

There are dozens of ways to flavor this and change it up. I tend to make the most basic form of elderberry syrup and add it to other herbs if needed. While no evidence really supports this (as it hasn’t been studied), I don’t add any extras to the elderberry syrup during the cooking process because I think this would be wasteful. For example, adding fresh ginger while cooking the elderberries and then storing the syrup reduces the rawness of the ginger and might decrease its potency. While honey-free elderberry syrup sounds great, I don’t recommend it unless you plan to preserve the syrup in another manner. Keeping the high ratio of honey to syrup reduces the risk of mold growth. You can read all over the internet about how some recommend storing the syrup on the counter or how refrigeration isn’t necessary. I personally don’t feel comfortable with that advice because organisms can grow wherever water is present. If you must make a honey-free version, freeze the elderberry liquid into ice cube trays and add them to warm water to make a bit of a tea. My family of 5 goes through a quart of elderberry syrup just about every month during the colder months and about ½ a quart the rest of the year. In those warmer months, I freeze half my quart into ice cube trays or add to our favorite summer tea and make popsicles.

To make 1 quart of syrup: 3-½ C water ⅔ C dried elderberries 1 C honey Bring the water to a boil. Add in the elderberries. Return to a boil then reduce the temperature and allow to simmer until the liquid level drops about half-way down. Do not use a lid to allow the steam to escape. Periodically check the berries and mash them with a potato masher. This takes between 30-60 minutes. Remove elderberries from heat. Mash a few more times with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Strain through a fine sieve into a jar. Pour in the 1 C of honey and mix well. Store in the refrigerator for about a month or freeze in a freezer safe container or ice cube trays for up to a year. My kids get ½-TB of syrup 4-6 times a day when we have the beginnings of an illness. My husband and I take 1 TB 4-6 times.

What has been your experience with elderberries and elderflower? 

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