We are blessed to have wild Elderberries growing on the farm when we moved here, we have since given a helping hand to create another 15 plus bushes to grow at different spots on the farm.
I made a number of different syrups with my Elderberries, sometimes I make a simple syrup and then can it, sometimes I make Jelly and can it, and sometimes I make it with high proof Vodka to perserve it.. I also make a Elderberry Ginger Syrup that I use to make my own tea’s out of.
Here is the finished product from the pot, as you can see it has a natural ability to form a nice soft Jell on its own once its cold and set.
Today, I am making Elderberry Syrup with fresh local raw honey to go with fresh bread.. so I took out eight cups for frozen elderberries picked from the farm, (remember to clean your berries well) and then put them into a steel pot and a little decanted water and bring to a boil for 20 min till they are cooked and soften, then I mash them and let them cook another 10 min.
Then everyone recommends straining though cheese cloth, but I put it though my coffee press, works like a charm, and got about 2 full cups of juice, which I will simmer down to about a cup of Juice before I add the honey to simmer till natural thickened.
Then place in a clean hot jar and process if you are not going to use it within the next month or so, otherwise, into a clean jar an into the fridge for many different uses..
So good, its got its own flavor but I would say a mix between blueberry with hints of rasberry if I had to offer what it tastes like.. My local Chokeberry is like a grape/pear combo.
A few idea’s on how to use this syrup.
Hot Elderberry Tea
- 2 TBS of Syrup
- One cup boiling water
Sparkling Elderberry
- 3 TSB Syrup
- Gingerale or sparkling Water
Can be used on Pancakes, or drizzled on fruit or cooked meat, or one bagel with cream cheese etc.
You can take 1/4 cup syrup, mix with ginger and tsp of red wine vinager to make a quick and tasty sweet/sour sauce, you can mix it with Vinager and drizzle on for a saled dressing.
Just another Day on the Farm 
Good morning, I think your elderberry tea with ginger might be really soothing on the throat after a night of coughing, or first thing in the morning to cut the phlegm.
what climate do elderberry’s grow in? I was considering my own large garden of medicinal foods. Elderberry’s are excellent for improving coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsillitis.
Well, when I did research it was being grown in Russia, Germany, England, Holland and it growns across most of N.A. but I don’t think in the hotter climates. they do like to have not so much wet roots as access to slew area’s, I tend to look for them in ditch lines, woods edges, they naturally grow on the farm by the slew edges, but they have done well in our garden edges that have the ditch on the back side.
They do require yearly pruning for really top notch production, and I find that mine can produce so heavily that I need to take between 25 to 50 percent of the flowers off for drying and later use to help keep the wait of the fruit itself down.
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