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A dark, sweet, warmly spiced elderberry syrup made from dried, frozen, or fresh elderberries, flavored with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and optional star anise. Sweetened with honey, producing a concentrated syrup for seasonal use, gifts, or as a base for other treats.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups dried organic elderberries or 8 cups fresh, ripe, organic elderberries (frozen can be used like fresh)
  • 8 cups water (when using dried berries)
  • 1 cup water (when using fresh or frozen berries)
  • 16 to 24 ounces honey (adjust to juice volume; equal volume recommended; 16 ounces honey for 24 ounces juice is a lower-honey option)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated raw ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder or 2 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves or ground cloves
  • 2 to 3 whole star anise (optional)
  • Optional splash (1/3 to 1/2 cup) of vodka, whiskey, brandy, or other liquor for preservation (alcohol is optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare your straining equipment, storage containers, and measuring tools before starting.
  2. Combine elderberries and water: Use 4 cups dried berries with 8 cups water, or 8 cups fresh/frozen berries with 1 cup water. Remove all stems from fresh berries.
  3. Set stove to medium-low heat; add spices: cinnamon (powder or sticks), cloves (whole or ground), fresh grated or ground ginger, and optional star anise. Stir gently once spices are added.
  4. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally and gently pressing berries against pot sides to release juice. For dried berries, simmer until liquid reduces by half (30 minutes to 2 hours). For fresh/frozen berries, simmer at least 30 minutes until soft and juicy, strain out skins and pulp, return juice to pot, and reduce liquid by half.
  5. Allow mixture to cool slightly; strain through fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or nut milk bag into a glass bowl. Press berries to extract juice; squeeze cheesecloth bundle to remove additional liquid. Wear gloves to avoid staining hands if desired.
  6. Measure the concentrated juice; return it to the pot but do not heat.
  7. Whisk in honey corresponding to juice volume (equal volumes for full sweetness or less honey for a lighter version). Warm honey gently in a warm water bath if needed; do not microwave or boil. Add optional alcohol after honey incorporation and stir.
  8. Pour syrup into clean airtight glass containers, leaving space for lids. Seal and refrigerate once cooled. Use clean utensils when serving and label containers with date, ingredients, and alcohol presence (if used).

Notes

Use ripe blue-black elderberries (Sambucus nigra). Do not use red elderberries (Sambucus racemosa)., Remove all stems and leaves from fresh berries; unsafe parts can cause stomach upset., Do not add honey directly over heat to preserve beneficial properties., Store syrup refrigerated; with full honey-to-juice ratio, syrup should last at least three months; alcohol addition may extend shelf life., Lower-honey version should be used more quickly and refrigerated carefully., Do not treat this syrup as shelf-stable canned product; inspect for spoilage before use., Leftover pulp can be composted, steeped for tea, or dehydrated for later use., Vegan sweeteners such as agave or maple syrup can substitute honey but may affect preservation and flavor; adjust slowly and refrigerate., Honey is both sweetener and thickening agent to produce pourable syrup consistency., Alcohol addition is optional and changes flavor; label bottles clearly if added.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingcrumbs.com/elderberry-syrup-recipe-with-fresh-frozen-or-dried-berries/