Elderberry Syrup: A Staple of your Fall Apothecary

Ah, the transition from Summer to Fall. School is back in session and new routines are started. The heat of the last few months is replaced with cooler mornings and earlier sunsets. While this is one of the most magical and lovely times of the year, it also can bring unwelcome guests in the forms of colds and other illnesses. Although it can be impractical and unrealistic to avoid all illness, there are options that can be helpful for boosting your immune system and maintaining health. As the saying goes "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", and one of my very favorite fall apothecary recipes is Elderberry Syrup. This tasty, yet potent, syrup has become more popular over the last few years and for good reason as it ties multiple immune herbs together into one remedy. Let's take a look at the ingredients.

Elderberries

Sambucus nigra or Sambucus canadensis

Elder has been used extensively in the western herbalism for a very long time as based on historical writings and archeological excavations. In European folklore traditions, the Elder bush was believed to be inhabited by a wise spirit who offers protection for your home if given proper respect and honor prior to harvest. One traditional use of elder is for it's anti-inflammatory and anti-viral actions. According to one meta-analysis, elderberry "may reduce the duration and severity of colds" and influenza (Wieland et al, 2021). It is thought to do this by regulating the immune response to infection. Another study showed that elderberries "effectively reduced upper respiratory symptoms" in viral conditions like the common cold and flu (Hawkins et al, 2019). Elder flowers have also traditionally been used to support fevers and as a normal immune response. The fresh berries do contain cyanogenic glycosides ( a precursor to cyanide), so it is important to cook them or tincture them prior to consumption to inhibit this.

Rose hips

Rosa canina or any Rosa spp.

Along with being refreshing on the eyes, roses have been a staple in many traditional apothecaries. For this recipe, we are using the rose hip, which is the red, round ball (fruit) that forms in the Fall after the petals have fallen off the rose bloom. While they are easy to forage, be aware that whole rose hips contain tiny, irritating hairs that need to be strained out well with a fine filter prior to use. Rose hips purchased from reputable herb sellers, such as Mountain Rose Herbs, are already processed enough where the hairs are removed and easier to use. Rose hips are high in vitamin C, which may be helpful in immune support (de la Forêt, 2020). They are also thought to reduce inflammation and improve oxidative stress from free radicals, which is considered to be a factor in arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and many other modern conditions (Mármol et al, 2017).

Ginger

Zingibar officinale

Ginger adds a lovely bit of spice to this elderberry syrup and can help offset some of the sweetness of the honey. Besides being tasty, ginger also has been used extensively in apothecaries. As anyone who has eaten a raw slice of ginger will attest, ginger has a potent heating affect and is traditionally used for promoting circulation. This also can be helpful with promoting sweating when one has a fever. It has also been used for relief of muscle cramping and spasms such as with menstrual cramps or gas pains. One of the more popular uses for ginger is for nausea of all kinds, from morning sickness to motion. It may also have antiseptic properties if the source is food poisoning (Gladstar, 2018). Finally, ginger may have some pain relieving abilities (Rondanelli et al, 2020).

Cinnamon

Cinnamomum cassia (Cassia cinnamon) or C. verum (Ceylon cinnamon)

For this recipe, cinnamon primarily is added for taste but it is thought to have some beneficial properties. Much like ginger, cinnamon is heating and can be useful in promoting circulation. It also has been traditionally used for improving digestion and relieving gas pain (Gladstar, 2018). Also like ginger, cinnamon is thought to be antimicrobial and can help reduce inflammation. Cinnamon has also been thought to stabilize glucose levels, although more research needs to be done (Sharma et al, 2020).

Honey

Honey is going to be our preservative in this recipe. Its antibacterial activites have been well documentated throughout history and in modern research. Honey has been used not only in internal prepartions but has also externally to support wound healing. Besides its many benefits, honey also just tastes good and can make a wonderful way to soothe a dry cough or sore throat.

Let's make elderberry syrup together!

First, we will measure out our elder berries, ginger, rose hips, and cinnamon chips and add them to a heat safe and non-reactive pot.

I like fresh organic ginger, but you could always used dried and use half of the recipe amount. If you are using fresh ginger, carefully grate or finely dice it to increase the surface area while it is cooking. Dried ginger is spicier than fresh ginger, so if you have little people or people who don't like spice you may want to add even less. For dried herbs, I really like the quality of Mountain Rose Herbs or Oshala Farm. There are more dried herb companies I like in the herbal resource section. We are NOT going to add the honey yet.

Next, we are going to add the water and cover with a lid. You want to bring the water up to a light boil and then reduce to a simmer. I like to simmer my syrup for 45 minutes. For this syrup, we are using tougher plant material, the bark and berries, so you need more heat and time to extract all the herbal goodness. This is the decoction method of extracting plant material. After the 45 minutes are up, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the heat source. We are going to leave the lid on and let it cool on the counter. Once it cools, we will remove the lid and get ready to strain your liquid.

For straining, I use a big metal strainer lined with folded cheese cloth. As the elder berries cook, the seeds come out in the liquid and can be hard to strain with just a metal strainer. It is handy to strain into a measuring cup for when we get ready to add the honey.

Another added bonus to waiting for your liquid to cool is so that you can wrap up the ends of your cheesecloth and squeeze all the liquid from your spent berries and get all the magic from them. You can compost the berries after straining. Next, we are measure how much liquid we got during our decoction. For most syrups, I use a ratio of liquid to honey. There are some recipes that will have you use a 1:1 ratio of liquid to honey. This will lead to a longer shelf life, but I find that it is too sweet for my taste and I usually use up my elderberry syrup fairly quickly in my house. It is important to measure how much liquid you have at the end of simmering, as it can vary by how hard you simmer your liquid, how much liquid your plant material absorbs, etc.

For this batch, I got 4 cups of liquid and so I will be using 2 cups of honey. I then wipe out my pot I used to simmer in with a paper towel and combine the honey and liquid over very low heat until the honey and the liquid combine. You want to use low heat to not damage the beneficial enzymes in honey. I tell when it is done by scooping along the bottom of my pot with a spoon and seeing if any honey remains. If your liquid still has some heat from the simmering phase, you may be able to mix in the honey without any additional heat. Next, you will bottle your syrup in a jar of your choosing. I like glass mason jars, although any jar will work. Also, it is very important to label your bottle with the name and date of your syrup.

Congratulations, you now have elderberry syrup! Elderberry syrup is best stored in the refrigerator and used within 6 months. Signs that it may have gone bad are mold or a sour, fermented or otherwise off taste. As noted before, if you use more honey, it may last a little longer but not more than a year. Just as a side note, the rose hips in this recipe do contain pectin, which will cause your syrup to thicken slightly in the fridge. It is still good to use.

Let's talk about dosage. As this syrup contains honey, it is NOT safe for children under the age of one as their digestive systems aren't mature enough to safely digest it. There also hasn't been enough research to definativly say elderberry is safe in pregnancy, but please discuss with your provider. Elderberry syrup can be helpful in both illness and as prevention, however the dosage is a little different.

For Prevention recommended amounts are:

• 1/2 teaspoon daily for children ages 1-4

• 1 teaspoon daily for children ages 4-12

• 1 tablespoon daily for adults and children over 12

For Illness recommended amounts are:

• 1/2 teaspoon every 3 hours for children ages 1-4

• 1 teaspoon every 3 hours for children 4-12

• 1 tablespoon every 3 hours for adults and children over 12

While it is tasty on its own, elderberry syrup is also delicious on pancakes, waffles, or in carbonated water as a lightly sweetened drink. What a fun way to enjoy your medicine!

What ways do you love to use your elderberry syrup?

Resources:

American Botanical Council. (2004). The ABC Clinical Guide to Elderberry. http://abc.herbalgram.org/site/DocServer/Elderberry-scr.pdf

Codekas , Colleen. “Foraging Rose Hips & Wild Rose: Identification, Harvesting, & Uses.” Grow Forage Cook Ferment, 6 Sept. 2024, www.growforagecookferment.com/foraging-for-rose-hips/.

Forêt, R. d. l., & Han, E. (2020). Wild remedies: how to forage healing foods and craft your own herbal medicine.  1st edition. Carlsbad, California, Hay House, Inc.

Gladstar, Rosemary. Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide. Storey Publishing, 2012.

Hawkins J, Baker C, Cherry L, Dunne E. Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) supplementation effectively treats upper respiratory symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. 2019 Feb;42:361-365. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.12.004. Epub 2018 Dec 18. PMID: 30670267.

Mandal MD, Mandal S. Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2011 Apr;1(2):154-60. doi: 10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60016-6. PMID: 23569748; PMCID: PMC3609166.

Mármol I, Sánchez-de-Diego C, Jiménez-Moreno N, Ancín-Azpilicueta C, Rodríguez-Yoldi MJ. Therapeutic Applications of Rose Hips from Different Rosa Species. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 May 25;18(6):1137. doi: 10.3390/ijms18061137. PMID: 28587101; PMCID: PMC5485961.

Rondanelli M, Fossari F, Vecchio V, Gasparri C, Peroni G, Spadaccini D, Riva A, Petrangolini G, Iannello G, Nichetti M, Infantino V, Perna S. Clinical trials on pain lowering effect of ginger: A narrative review. Phytother Res. 2020 Nov;34(11):2843-2856. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6730. Epub 2020 May 20. PMID: 32436242; PMCID: PMC7754412.

Sharma S, Mandal A, Kant R, Jachak S, Jagzape M. Is Cinnamon Efficacious for Glycaemic Control in Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus? J Pak Med Assoc. 2020 Nov;70(11):2065-2069. PMID: 33341863.

Wieland LS, Piechotta V, Feinberg T, Ludeman E, Hutton B, Kanji S, Seely D, Garritty C. Elderberry for prevention and treatment of viral respiratory illnesses: a systematic review. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2021 Apr 7;21(1):112. doi: 10.1186/s12906-021-03283-5. PMID: 33827515; PMCID: PMC8026097.