Elder Berry Syrup

Your Cold Season BFF

Immune Boosting Elderberry Syrup is a must have cold season staple! 🤒 I've been making my own for a couple of years now. I keep it in the fridge and we pretty much take it everyday during cold season. If we get sick or feel like we are getting sick we take it twice a day. And believe it or not, the kids LOVE it! They beg for it!!!

This is so easy to make and keep AND it's packed full of awesome ingredients! Once you make it you'll never go back to buying! I always have the ingredients on hand. The moment I feel like we've got something coming on I whip some up. Plus, it makes the house smell kinda witchy and homey like.

There are a variety of recipes. The syrup is a bit bitter. It's a beautiful dark purple plum color. 💜  I make mine on the stronger side because my family doesn't mind the taste. You could use less cloves and more honey if you want to "improve" the taste.

We take one or two tablespoons and give the kids about half a tablespoon. I have read that taking too much can invoke an over immune response, which you wouldn't want. Also... check with your Dr., don't give kids under one year old honey, hasn't been tested for pregnancy and breastfeeding blah, blah, blah... We probably started giving this to our kiddos around the 18 month mark. Here's how I make it.

Ingredients:

1. 1 Cup --> Organic Dried Elder Berries

2. 4 Cups --> Water

3. Roughly 2 Inch Piece of Peeled and Cut Up Fresh Ginger 🫚 (I've been dying to use this ginger emoji 🤣)

4. 4 --> Organic Cinnamon Sticks

5. About 10 --> Organic Cloves

6. Honey to Taste, Once Cooled --> About 1/4 Cup or More

Process:

1. Add all ingredients except the honey.

2. Bring pot to a rolling boil.

3. Simmer about 45 minutes or until liquid has reduced almost or about half.

4. Let cool.

5. Strain into storage container.

6. Whisk in honey. You can add honey to taste. I've seen recipes say as much as 1/2 cup to a whole cup of honey. I typically use maaaaybe a quarter cup. Also, I feel like the honey "sets in" over time. So, I always use less to begin with and taste test the next day to determine if I want to add more.

   
   

Tools:

1. Stainless Steel Pot - I have the 10 piece Tramontina set, pretty low end. I am dreaming of the Caraway set, one day...

2. Stainless Steel Mesh Strainer

3. Glass Storage Container - Just get the set. I love these locking lids!

4. I use a spatula to press all the "juice" out of the berries when they are in the strainer, or course, it is green.

5. Stainless Steel Whisk

I hope you make your own elder berry syrup and your fam loves it and it keeps you all healthy this cold and flu season! You can do it, Mama! Let us know in the comments if you try it. Share your recipe, I'd love to see what other spins on this recipe there are! Tell us, do your kids beg for it?! Did you find this interesting? Helpful? Give it a heart, would ya?! Thanks for being here, friends.

Let's do this thing together. 💚

*This post contains affiliate and non affiliate links. #12 September 17, 2025