Homemade Elderberry Syrup
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Knife
- Whisk or spoon
- strainer preferably fine mesh
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp dried elderberries
- 1 or 2 inches fresh ginger root
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 cup raw honey
Instructions
- Rough chop or slice up the ginger.
- Place elderberries, ginger, and cinnamon stick in the saucepan. Add water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Once it is bubbling, turn heat down to the lowest setting, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Uncover the pot and continue to simmer until the liquid is almost reduced to half.
- Let it cool and strain mixture. You should have about 1 cup (8 oz) of liquid. If you have more put the strained liquid back on the stove to reduce it more.
- Combine the cooled, strained, elderberry liquid with the honey and mix very well. If you do this when the liquid is still warm (not hot) it will mix easier.
- Store your syrup in a clean jar or bottle in the fridge. It should be good for a month or so.
Notes
Tip: cool it enough to touch but mix liquid into honey while it's still warm for easier blending.
Final mixture of liquid to honey should be a 1:1 ratio. So if you want to make more or less just follow that rule.
For any amount use 1 tbsp of dried elderberries per cup of water to start.
I always start with a little more than double the volume of water to account for absorption and reduce by half. Then add equal parts honey. So that's why for a final product being 2 cups, I start with 2.5 cups of water. Reduce to 1 cup. Add 1 cup of honey.
So just remember the end product will be half honey and half berry liquid. That's all, enjoy!