Name: The Best Homemade Thick Elderberry Syrup Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 cups Water; 1 cup Dried Elderberries; 1 cup Dried Rosehip; 2 sticks Cinnamon; 3 Star anise; 1/2 Lemons juice; 1 tbsp Ginger (grated); 1 cup Raw Honey

Pin13

13 Shares

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

We are sharing the best homemade thick elderberry syrup recipe that is high in antioxidants, helps boost your immune system, and is perfect for the sick season.

This post may contain affiliate links, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my Disclaimer for more information.

Health Disclaimer: It is important to know that food does not replace pharmaceutical drugs. This elderberry syrup recipe and information are for entertainment purposes only. Always consult your physician or nutritionist for medical advice.

A thick elderberry syrup recipe is helpful not just for cold and flu season but throughout the year to help you strengthen your immunity.

This is an easy recipe with cold-fighting power and is the perfect natural remedy that is better than anything you can get at health food stores.

I also believe you should only receive medical advice from health professionals. As a registered nurse I am all for medicines if you need them to help you heal.

I feel like if you need antibiotics or medicines to help you breathe, elderberry syrup will not replace these types of emergent medication.

That to say before you get to that point, this homemade elderberry syrup recipe is a preventative that will provide you with a large amount of vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Always, and I mean, always, talk to your doctor before consuming recipes like this thick elderberry syrup because everybody’s health situation is different. Some people don’t take a lot of medication, while others do, so you have to be careful before mixing the two.

Thick elderberry syrup recipe: Table of Contents

Table of Contents

It’s important to know children aged one or younger can not consume elderberry syrup if it contains honey. Honey is not safe for children one or younger to consume.

Good news though you can use other sweeteners like maple syrup or date syrup to make the best elderberry syrup.

Elderberry syrup is extremely beneficial to help you fight cold symptoms. Here we will provide some scientific and evidence-based statistics about how beneficial elderberry syrup is.

Elderberry Syrup Benefits

There are many health benefits in taking elderberry syrup, teas, elderberry gummies, elderberry juice, or any other ways you can add elderberries into.

Elderberry syrup is known for its medicinal properties that aid you in fighting cold and flu symptoms like a sore throat. It’s a great preventative and can sometimes decrease the severity of your cold symptoms.

According to sciencedirect.com, elderberries have a “significant impact on the immune system, antiviral and antibacterial activity, as well as protection against UV radiation, has been confirmed.”

To get all the benefits of elderberries you have to consume elderberry syrup the first sign of any cold symptoms.

Some other benefits:

Contains vitamin C and vitamin A
Supports the immune system
It is a powerful antioxidant that can fight free radicals
Shorten the duration of cold symptoms
Elderberry has an excellent source of fiber
Has anti-inflammatory properties

Is thick elderberry syrup recipe EFFECTIVE?

If you’re good to go to try elderberry syrup, you need to try it for yourself to see if it’s effective. For many others, elderberry syrup is effective and it helps them throughout the year of cold and flu season but everybody’s different to have to try it for yourself.

The best thing you can do is to research natural remedies by trying to make your homemade elderberry syrup and see the benefits of elderberry syrup it provides you.

Supplies

Deep saucepan

You need a saucepan that is deep enough to hold all the elderberry syrup ingredients. I always prefer stainless steel saucepans like the ones below.

Large spoon or Ladle

I love stainless steel spoons in the kitchen because they last a long time and anything you are making won’t stain it.

Fine Mesh Strainer or cheesecloth

You can use either or as long as it strains all the elderberry ingredients to leave you with syrup.

Large measuring cup

I use a glass measuring cup as it’s a great measuring tool that lets you see elderberry syrup ingredients.

Empty glass bottle or container

This empty glass container or bottle is used to store your homemade elderberry syrup. Glass is a better airtight and eco-friendly container than plastic.

Ingredients

Water

Water is an essential ingredient to help boil all the elderberries and rosehips. A cup of water can go a long way when making this delicious syrup, so this recipe will make plenty.

Dried Elderberries

This recipe uses already dried raw elderberries but you can have fresh berries of you on hand instead. Elderberries are known to have many medicinal properties like being high in vitamin C and having antioxidant properties.

Elderberries need to be cooked before being consumed because they are toxic in raw form. I use organic elderberries to have the best quality elderberries.

Dry Rosehip

Rosehip is one of the riches sources of vitamin c, and in folk medicine, it was used for pain management. It especially helps with arthritis for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Raw Honey

Honey has antioxidant properties and is used to help with cold and cough symptoms. Honey is a great thickening agent, and is a preservative for elderberry syrup. Aside from honey, you can also use natural sweeteners like maple syrup or date syrup.

Cinnamon sticks

Cinnamon is added to this recipe because it has great medicinal benefits like anti-inflammatory properties. According to health.clevelandclinic.org, cinnamon can improve your cholesterol and reduce your blood sugar levels as well.

Star anise

We add star anise to our elderberry syrup to make it more powerful and have antibacterial and antiviral properties. According to healthline.com, “ one of the main active ingredients in Tamiflu, a popular medication for the treatment of influenza.”

Lemon

Lemon juice is a great source of vitamin C and adds to the cold-fighting power of this elderberry syrup. The lemon juice also serves as an acidifier, which helps preserve the elderberry syrup.

Fresh Ginger

Ginger has very powerful medicinal properties that help fight sore throats and have antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Thick Elderberry Syrup Recipe Instructions

Gather all your ingredients and prep them.

Place the sauce pot on your stovetop, and add all the ingredients except for honey.

Turn your stove on from high heat to medium heat. The mixture will bubble, lower the heat and let it steep for at least 30 minutes. Let your mixture be reduced halfway.

Strain your syrup into your container.

When your syrup has chilled enough to feel warm, not hot water, add 1 cup of honey.

Stir your honey into your mixture and then place your elderberry syrup in your storage container. Place your elderberry in your fridge raider and it will thicken in a couple of hours.

Storing and Shelf Life

a glass bottle of homemade elderberry syrup

When storing elderberry syrup keeping it in an airtight container is best to preserve it. I like to recycle glass bottles and use those to store mixtures like elderberry syrup.

Next time you buy something that’s in the glass, clean it dry it out, and save it! Use it for when you make something like this take elderberry syrup recipe.

Diy elderberry syrup can last between 6- 12 weeks in the fridge if left in the coldest part of your fridge.

If you are freezing it can last about 3 to 6 months, and if you are making a small batch, or even a big one freeze the syrup in ice cube trays.

Thick Elderberry Syrup Recipe FAQ

How long should elderberries be cooked?

Elderberries should be cooked on a stovetop and mixed with either sugar, a liquid, or other fruits/herbs. Elderberries should are cooked first before placing them in pies, syrups, and jams since they are known to be toxic.

Do you need to use a sweetener?

I believe you do need to use a sweetener in elderberry syrup to make it taste a little better. The natural sweetener honey is not only a great sweetener but a great preserve and helps extend its shelf life. Natural sweeteners like maple syrup and dates can also provide health of benefits like honey does.

How do you use elderberry syrup?

Use elderberry syrup as a preventative to keep your immunity strong during cold and flu season. You can consume elderberry syrup straight from a bottle by taking a tablespoon one or two times a day.

You can also use elderberry syrup for gummy bears, elderberry tea, or other types of elderberry recipes.

What are the side effects of elderberry?

Side effects of consuming elderberries it’s nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Elderberry itself is toxic if it’s not cooked, make sure you do not add any bark or leaves when cooking them.

You will find literature out there that doesn’t recommend elderberry to children or pregnant women. But with the number of benefits, it has and depends on the age of your child. Elderberry syrup can be a good thing but always check with your doctor before consuming it.

This is a different recipe than most elderberry syrup because we wanted the best nutritional profile that consists of a high amount of vitamin C ingredients like rose hips.

Taking elderberry syrup is a great way to fight cold and flu season, let us know if you made our thick elderberry syrup recipe.