Simpler Elderberry Syrup Recipe

[night driver]

You are likely to need to get them online.

There have been a number of sources in threads that Summerthyme has contributed to, as well as goatlady.

 

[summerthyme]

Try www.atlanticspice.com or www.sfherb.com

Summerthyme

 

[goatlady2]

Or www.herbalcom.com LOL!

 

[mole]

Summerthyme, you are truly a heaven sent angel. Thank you for taking the time to clarify that for me and maybe for a few others as well.

I am so sorry to hear about your trigeminal pain...I know how painful that can be. I had a bad experience after oral surgery once upon a time. I hope you get to feeling better soon!

Don't work too hard! (pretty useless thing to say to a farmgirl, huh? )

mole

 

[Timex1954]

denfoot, if you're speaking to me, I'm finding them growing along the roadsides here. They seem to like the dips in the rolling hills - I guess there is more moisture there. When they were blooming and easier to spot, I did my recon mission. Then I would keep an eye on the bushes as I ran my errands. I just happened to pass by these on the way into town, and had a pocketknife and a clean trashbag in the truck so I harvested them on my way home. I spent most of yesterday afternoon and evening, and all of this morning getting the stems off. I never dreamed there were so many tiny berries on one cluster! I have them sugared down, and tomorrow I will go ahead and bottle them up.

I'm going to do a variation of Summerthyme's recipe-- I'm not fond of honey at all. So I plan to use the sugar, then add the vodka to preserve it a bit better. I'm going to bottle it up whole berries and all. If later I decide to use it as a pie filling/jam before it would lose its "ummph" as a flu remedy, then then I am hoping the alcohol will bake out.

This is my first real attempt at canning anything of vital importance, so I am praying I don't mess it up.

 

[adgal]

I thought I would bump this up once again - and add a question - - how soon after you make your syrup is it usable? Does it have to sit for a couple of weeks?

Thanks again, Summerthyme - you are my hero!

 

[WisconsinGardener]

And the homemade works just as well as the Sambucol? I've ordered the berries and want to do this. I've had first hand proof that the Sambucol works on regular flu - even when it wasn't given immediately.

I just need a little reassurance here that the homemade works as well as the Sambucol does. Anyone have any direct experience?

 

[homemakerof6]

Forgive me if this has already been asked but can you add the honey after you've already made the tincture. I know you said to add the vodka last but I've already made the tincture and it DOES taste horrible. I'm not sure my family could choke it down if we were dying !!! BLAAAAAAAAAAAA!

 

[summerthyme]

Adgal... works on contact. (well, as soon as it's made). Truthfully, I suspect elderberry JUICE would work as well as either tincture or syrup... but it would be very difficult to store for long.

WG- I've never used Sambucol, but we've seen the homemade stuff stop genuine influenza in it's tracks- hubby caught it a few years back when he was working for the town Highway Department. He was very sick for 2 full days, and back to work by the third day. The rest of the guys were out for 1-2 WEEKS, and two of them ended up being treated for secondary pneumonia.

Yeah, it works,

Summerthyme

 

[summerthyme]

Homemaker- yeah, elderberry tincture is one of those "maybe if I was dying... or maybe not!" remedies. Truthfully the only tincture I've made which *might* taste worse is Kava Kava... but you only take 1/4 tsp of that at a time!

Yes, I think you can add honey to the tincture... you'll be diluting it quite a bit, though. I'd probably take a small amount, and add honey until it's somewhat palatable... maybe try adding 1 tsp of honey to a tablespoon of the tincture, and increasing it if necessary?

Summerthyme

 

[oldladydoolin]

I might have to try this. I have another question that has nothing to do with this but figured one of you would know the answer. I read on another thread but can't find that thread that you should have whiskey and brandy also in your stocks. Why?

 

[Aragona]

Summertyme, Thank you so much for your inspiration and receipe. It was easy and delicious. I've also started drinking elderberry tea with honey on a regular basis and got my sisters to do the same. --A.

 

[summerthyme]

Aragona... you're very welcome. Yes, the syrup is amazingly easy to make, and tastes good enough for most people to take happily- a big reason I prefer it to the tincture. Medicine won't work if people won't take it!

OldLadydoolin... I don't know who posted it, but I suspect whisky and brandy are mostly for either A: barter purposes, or B: because some folks used to use them "medicinally", as a "stimulant". We know now that alcohol isn't a "stimulant", but is a central nervous system depressant, but brandy especially does give a "warming" sensation (caused by vasodilation) and I know quite few folks- old timers, mostly- who swear by it, or a shot of whiskey for "what ails ya".

Summerthyme

 

[goatlady2]

Homemaker, just put your DOSE of tincture into a small glass of juice - grape works well, and down the hatch! You can add it to any juice or tea also.

 

[lectrickitty]

I wonder if any of the dried berries would germinate and grow a bush. Has anyone tried to germinate one? I think I'll try a few just to see if I can get some plants growing.

Summerthyme, how long will the syrup last on the shelf? If it's made with vodka, does it still need to be refrigerated after opening?

 

[summerthyme]

I can't say about the dried berries germinating- I'm sure it depends on how old they are and what storage conditions they saw. Birds spread them everywhere around here, so it might work.

The syrup lasts at least 3 years under reasonable conditions (relatively cool and dark). As long as you've added the vodka, it should be fine kept at room temperature for a few weeks. I usually bottle them in 8 ounce bottles, and we go through one in a few days time, so unless we've got a partial bottle and don't see any need to take it, I don't refrigerate mine.

Summerthyme

 

[resq'd]

I made my first batch today, but I only got half the juice from my berries that your recipe called for- good thing I started with a double batch! It actually tastes pretty good. Will start another batch tomorrow. I had to put it up in quart jars (all I have at the moment).
I want to thank you personally ST, for the info on Curcumin- I started taking it a month ago for my neck issues stenosis and arthritis). I have been totally off diclofenac all that time, and have reduced my vicoden intake from two to three a day to one maybe every other day! My doctor is thrilled, as am I.
I will refrigerate the quart we are currently starting on, and keep the others in the pantry till we open them. Got any tips on extracting more of the juice? Maybe it's my berries. Will check back tonite- going to see my folks with Elderberry syrup for them, along with black current jelly, tomatoes, zucchini, lemon cucumbers, and green beans- all from my garden. You have been quite an insperation to me- in faith, gardening, health, and love for our country. Thanks, Sis.

 

[momof23goats]

I use my canned elderberry juice with no problem. Also, if we are drinking it in the winter no but cold or flu I mix half and half with my own canned grape juice for morning drink

that is what I do. we don't do booze here, so I make the elderberrries into juice and can it up. same with grape juice, then I mix them for breakfast. yummy, and good for ya too.

 

[bethshaya]

In Rex Jackson's thread, Dr. Henry Niman, a flu expert states:
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=331005

"....... The following substances may be best to avoid during a H5N1 pandemic

Elderberry juice (Sambucal) - AVOID - Increases production of cytokines TNF-a and IL-6. This substance is very effective against the common flu but may not be desirable for the H5N1 virus. Increases in these cytokines may trigger a lethal cytokine storm. (Isr Med Journal2002 Nov;4:944-6)


**** Which is it?
Is Sambucal (Elderberry) Good or Bad for swine/avian flu? ****

- BGB

.

Rex's thread discusses H5N1, which is avian flu.

 

[Jubilee on Earth]

I just made my very first batch tonight. It made A LOT! I wasn't prepared for how much it made. I also wasn't prepared for how messy it was. You spill some of the syrup bit or drop a few wet berries, and you've turned things instant purple. My fingers, my dishes, my stove, my counters all were splotched with dark purple, LOL.

I was a little perplexed about what to do with the berries when I was done. After I drained and smushed them, I felt badly throwing them out. I wish I had the know-how to make jams and jellies, but alas I don't have the skill, the room, or the time.

But in the end, it all worked out well and the syrup tasted pretty good. I only used half the amount of vodka, and plan to keep the bottles in the fridge. (I bought 3 of those olive-oil type bottles, that are long and skinny and have a stopper-type top with a metal valve for pouring.)

Thanks again, Summerthyme, for your help and expertise.

 

[Mushroom]

Forgive me if this has already been asked but can you add the honey after you've already made the tincture. I know you said to add the vodka last but I've already made the tincture and it DOES taste horrible. I'm not sure my family could choke it down if we were dying !!! BLAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Homemaker, you can dilute that tincture with lemonade or any other juice if you don't like the taste of it straight. You can also add boiled water to it and some sugar or honey and make a tea from it. If you let it cool a bit, it will evaporate much of the alcohol off. Next year, make wine from your elderberries. It is very tasty and one glass a day with your dinner should work. More if you feel bad.

Mushroom

 

[WisconsinGardener]

OK... I weighed some berries! 1 cup averages 1/4 pound, of the dried berries I have on hand (commercial source)

The vodka is a preservative... if you want to be able to store the syrup for more than a year or two max, it's very helpful.

But, if you can't use it.. follow the amounts of honey and juice or sugar and juice at the bottom of my post above. That creates a SATURATED syrup, which will store at cool room temp (as long as it's sealed) in a dark place for up to 2 years.

If you use the recipe WITHOUT the alcohol, refrigerate it after you open a bottle (or use it up within a few days)
Summerthyme

It doesn't appear that you're actually canning this, right? So, why does opening a bottle make a difference? Are they actually sealed somehow? If so, what are you sealing it with?

Or, ARE they sealing because the mixture is hot? I'm sorry - I'm confused.

 

[summerthyme]

WG... it's a saturated syrup, and no, I'm not canning it. If it's bottled hot in sterile jars or bottles (with an appropriate top which will seal) they will actually create a bit of a vacuum as they close.

But the bigger problem is the potential entry of mold spores or bacteria (especially if folks um... swig from the bottle) once the bottle is open. Same issue with pure maple syrup if you've ever had it- it will store for years in it's can or jar before it's opened the first time, but will be subject to mold if you leave it at room temperature after you open it.

resq'd- that's GREAT news about the effectiveness of the curcumin! Yes, it does work quite effectively as a pain reliever, even for some acute pain. If you don't mind my suggesting this, if you can take glucosamine and chondroitin (just glucosamine if money is an issue... it's nearly, but not totally, as effective as the combination) it might be worth a try. It will take several weeks or longer to show any real effects, but it's one of the few things known to actually help replace damaged cartilage, and can help extend or even prevent the need for a joint replacement in many cases. While that's not the same issue as spinal stenosis, it still might help promote heathy vertebrae spacing and improve your comfort levels.

Summerthyme

 

[xtreme_right]

I screwed the recipe up soooo bad

I'm embarassed to admit this because so many people have made it successfully. I followed the recipe and rehydrated the dried berries and put them in a cool place for (what was supposed to be only) 24-48 hours. I completely forgot about them and about 2 weeks later I smelled an awful smell. They leaked juice out and completely saturated the bottom of the box they were in and oozed all over the floor. I guess since they sat too long without having a preservative or being canned, they grew some type of mold or bacteria and popped the lids off.

My advice is if you are planning to make some from dried berries, make sure you remember that they are reconstituting and get the syrup made before it goes bad.

xr

 

[Raphaelle]

Summer, You've inspired a lot of people recently to make eldeberry syrup. I made mine today for the first time also. It turned out perfectly, and tastes great too! 10 quarts should last for a while. I'm pretty pleased about the whole thing.

Thank you so much!!

 

[resq'd]

ST-
Absolutely! Just started on the combo, and am going to add fish oils as well.
I grew tons of garlic this year, and have started making Lebanese garlic sauce with everything. It's freaking delicious, and uses fresh garlic, so we get all the bennies. At this point, I'm sure I'm walking around like a big stinking garlic bomb, but at my age- who really cares? Oh yeah- maybe my coworkers and cutomers......but the vampires won't get me. Why does Nancy Pelosi come to mind all of a sudden? EEEWWW- gotta go make some more sauce!

 

[adgal]

Adgal... works on contact. (well, as soon as it's made). Truthfully, I suspect elderberry JUICE would work as well as either tincture or syrup... but it would be very difficult to store for long.

WG- I've never used Sambucol, but we've seen the homemade stuff stop genuine influenza in it's tracks- hubby caught it a few years back when he was working for the town Highway Department. He was very sick for 2 full days, and back to work by the third day. The rest of the guys were out for 1-2 WEEKS, and two of them ended up being treated for secondary pneumonia.

Yeah, it works,

Summerthyme

Thank you so much!!!!

 

[Amaryllis]

I'm embarassed to admit this because so many people have made it successfully. I followed the recipe and rehydrated the dried berries and put them in a cool place for (what was supposed to be only) 24-48 hours. I completely forgot about them and about 2 weeks later I smelled an awful smell. They leaked juice out and completely saturated the bottom of the box they were in and oozed all over the floor. I guess since they sat too long without having a preservative or being canned, they grew some type of mold or bacteria and popped the lids off.

My advice is if you are planning to make some from dried berries, make sure you remember that they are reconstituting and get the syrup made before it goes bad.

xr

Don't feel bad. I didn't realize my $18 bottle of elderberry juice had to be refrigerated. If I had read the bottle "refrigerate after opening" I could have saved myself $18. What makes it even worse is that I was taking the stuff the whole time for several weeks without it being refrigerated. It was pretty stout, lol.

BTW, I'm sure this has been posted here, but at what point if you are already sick, do you stop taking elderberry so as to avoid the cytokine storm?

 

[goatlady2]

I fingure on continuing taking the stuff as long as I can see/tell positive results i.e. feeling a bit better, fever lower,, not having problems breathing, etc. AS soon as I start having trouble breathing I'll probable cut back, MAYBE. I'm still not convinved the elcerberries boost the immune system enough to be concerned about. Just my opinion and experience working with herbs for many years. Remember - only 30%-50% of those who became infected with the H5N1 deveoped the cytokine storm effect so it's a toss up still in the medical world cause they have NO clue what the trigger is. But IIRC it seemed that the people who were "late" going for medical help and late receiving any kind of treatment were the ones to get worse and be on vents. To me that signifies that viral load is the triggering event, so the elderberry will keep that viral load LOW if you start taking it when you THNIK you have been exposed.

 

[summerthyme]

I agree 100% with goatlady... IF someone does end up getting into the nightmare of a cytokine storm, it's probably far too late to try to do anything but treat it with anti-inflammatory meds and continue to try to keep the virus from reproducing.

Elderberries have never been known as immune stimulant boosters, (although elderFLOWER may be), and my own personal belief is their ability to keep the viral load down if used early and often outweights any *potential* increase in dangerous cytokines.

And yes, I'd take it as early as possible... that's certainly the best way to keep the illness as mild as possible.

Summerthyme

 

[Satanta]

I was cleared by my Nephrologist to take Sambucol so it is not an immune system booster-trust me.

 

[summerthyme]

VERY interesting, Sat!!

Summerthyme

 

[Raphaelle]

Summer,
A quick question--- all but one of my quart jars sealed as they cooled. Do I need to do something about the one that didn't? Refrigerate it, reheat and hope it seals then, ignore it?

Thank you,

Raphaelle

 

[summerthyme]

Raphaelle... I wouldn't reheat it. If you used the recipe with the vodka added, I wouldn't worry about it at all. If it's the plain syrup recipe, mark the jar and plan on using it in a few weeks, or stash it in the fridge. It's still likely to be perfectly fine if you stored it, but there's no sense in wasting a quart of "medicine" if there is any chance a stray mold spore got in there. (which is unlikely if you were careful)

Summerthyme

 

[bluefire]

Questions for Summerthyme

Two questions for you, Summerthyme:

First of all, what would you suggest as best method of juicing fresh berries? I found this method at eHow.com.

Pick and wash the berries. Sort through and make sure the stems are removed.

Place the berries in a nonreactive pot and fill with water.

Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Be careful not to let the berries boil over. Cover the pot and let stand over night.

Strain the juice through a mesh seive into containers. Place the berries into an old, clean t-shirt and squeeze out the remaining juice. Discard berries.

Or do you have another method you'd recommend?

Second question:

What if one wants to use a combination of sugar and honey? Would one simply figure the ratio of sugar/juice and honey/juice? That is, as your recipes are written, the ratio of sugar to juice is 1.64 to 1, and the ratio of honey to juice is 2 to 1. If I'm using 7 cups of juice, and want to saturate 4 cups with honey and 3 cups with sugar, would I then use 8 cups of honey and 4.92 (I'd round to 5) cups of sugar? This seems logical, but I'm no chemist. What do you think?

Many thanks!

 

[summerthyme]

Bluefire... I'm not too sure about their method of juicing the berries. I just put them in a pot with a LITTLE water (enough to keep them from scorching) and then just heat them to around 180°. There's disagreement (basically because there is NO data that anyone can find) whether or not high heat damages the medicine... but I'll err on the side of caution until I find out differently.

Then I put them in a STRONG jelly type bag (I make them with "tulle" fabric- nylon or other synthetic they make wedding veils out of, and I usually double it) and then after most of the juice drains, I twist and squeeze every last bit out. An herb press works well, but youngest son broke mine making cider with it last fall ;-(

On the sugar/honey... oh, boy... if you had any idea how long it took me to do the math to figure out a saturated syrup!! And that's what you're after- (if you're using the recipe with no added alcohol for preservative). I think your figures are fine... if you overdo it, you'll end up with sugar crystals on the bottom of the bottle- but no harm, no foul.

Summerthyme

 

[bluefire]

Elderberries in season

I'm ready to make elderberry syrup again, so thought I'd bump this thread, in the event you've got elderberries ready in your area also and would like to try Summerthymes EB syrup recipe.

Summerthyme, although belated, please accept my sincere thanks for your education on this topic. I made elderberry syrup last year, using the sugar/honey ratio we discussed above, and it turned out great.

 

[Old Futz]

A long-ago query was about sambucus nigra plants. For best berry production, plant two or more varieties so they cross pollinate. Avoid ones which are primarily for "show" rather than berry production. Once you have those you can take cuttings and propagate your own. Raintree Nursery in Morton, WA has a number of choices in their catalogue, along with tips for growing.

We have had excellent results from ST's old ice cube recipe, as we keep those in the freezer and plop one into a mug with sugar/honey stirred in or just drink the juice/vodka mixture straight.

 

[Be Well]

I've made several gallons of Elderberry syrup using Summerthyme's recipe (not exactly precisely but close enough for jazz as a man who I used to play guitar with used to say).

No mold, no going bad, tastes good, everyone who's gotten some likes it, etc.

I make it with some alcohol added.

I've also made tincture. Last tincture I made I added some honey to the finished product to make it more palatable.

Also, when DH and I both got swine flu last late October, his case was not anywhere near as bad as mine was. He had been taking elderberry daily - one or two spoonfuls, and I had stopped just cause I was tired of taking it! Bad mistake. He had quite a light case and I was sick as a dog. Herbs saved my life though.

 

[Wise Owl]

I made tincture last summer and we used up a lot of it this past winter. Anytime we got a tickle or even "thought" something was coming on, we took it for a few days. When the flu was going around the area, we took it daily.

I had the flu/summer crud back in late May and the elderberry tincture was used also. The flu stuff lasted about a week but wasn't that bad. More like a bad cold altho it wasn't a cold. Prolly was the swine flu as that was still moving thru the area.

Anyway, it works and I need to make more. Thanks for the reminder!