How Long Does Homemade Elderberry Syrup Last?
How long does elderberry syrup last? You’ve probably heard mention of herbal remedies floating around the internet. You’ve probably heard about the effectiveness of elderberries against viruses like colds and flus. But after you go to the trouble of making your own homemade elderberry syrup, do you know how long it will last? Today we’ll explore this topic.
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We are exposed to old and new viruses, pathogens, and contagions whether we like it or not. When sickness hits, I always like to make home remedies to help our bodies heal from the inside.
When sickness hits your house, it’s comforting to be able to make some herbal medicines to help heal your body from the inside. This delicious elderberry syrup has an antiviral boost that is not only delicious but it’s very effective. Modern medicine absolutely has its place but so do home remedies using herbal medicine. I want to encourage you to make and use your own home remedies if you don’t already!
Our care plan on the homestead for dealing with sickness includes eating nourishing foods made with rich homemade chicken bone broth, getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water with lemon juice (high in vitamin C), and using home remedies. I shared my creamy vegetable soup recipe if you want to give it a try.
It’s also helpful to eat fermented and probiotic-rich foods when you’re sick.
I want to note here that we avoid added sugars and dairy. What and how much you eat will greatly affect the degree of illness. Dairy products tend to make the symptoms of a cold and flu worse. Likewise, so do sugar-rich foods.
What is herbal medicine?
Simply speaking, herbal medicine uses herbs to maintain or improve health. It includes teas, tinctures, tonics, oils, salves, and other natural remedies made from herbs.
Herbs have been used successfully as food and medicine for thousands of years. Over-the-counter and prescription medicines often have nasty side effects. Making your own medicine can be a safer alternative.
Is herbal medicine safe?
It’s important to be your own advocate when it comes to your health; however, herbal medicines are generally considered safe and effective. Especially when using plants in their whole form (roots, leaves, berries, flowers) and not concentrated forms of the plant.
The NIH National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health has an Herbs at a Glance page that lists common herbs, their uses, and potential side effects if you’re interested in learning more.
As with any food, make sure you know where your herbs are coming from and what may have been sprayed on them.
For best results, grow your own herbs organically or buy from a reputable source for medicinal herbs. However, I’ll link to some high-quality herbs at the bottom of this post.
Note: I am not a doctor, so be sure to consult with your health care provider if you take any remedies. Herbal medicine may interact with other drugs you are taking.
Elderberries, echinacea, and astragalus root.
One of my favorite home remedies is elderberry syrup with echinacea. I also add astragalus root for an antiviral boost if we start getting flu symptoms.
Elderberries (Sambucus L.) stimulate the immune system, treat cold and flu, relieve digestive issues, and are antiviral. They are generally considered safe but talk to your doctor if you have an autoimmune disorder.
Echinacea treats colds and upper respiratory infections, it’s a blood purifier and natural antibiotic, and it stimulates the immune system. It also treats yeast and fungal overgrowth. You should omit this herb if you have an autoimmune disorder. Also, do not take for longer than 8 consecutive weeks.
Astragalus root stimulates the immune system, treats cold and flu, is an antibacterial and antiviral, it helps your body adapt to stress (adaptogen), it increases white blood cell count, is an anti-inflammatory, and even protects the cardiovascular system.
I also want to note that according to the book Herbal Antivirals, no toxicity has ever been shown from the regular, daily use of astragalus root; however, for some people (not all) in late-stage Lyme disease, using astragalus root can exacerbate autoimmune responses.
How long does elderberry syrup last?
Homemade elderberry syrup can last up to 6 months in the refrigerator when it is prepared and stored properly. If you water bath can your syrup, it will last 18 months or longer in your pantry. But once you open your jar, keep it refrigerated and use it up within 6 months.
The best way to store your elderberry syrup is in the refrigerator. You can safely store your syrup in your refrigerator for up to 6 months as long as you add a preservative like lemon juice.
Label it properly with the date made or a “use by” date on your jars. Also, inspect your syrup when you go to use it. If it smells or looks off, toss it and make a new batch.
If you water bath can your syrup, it’ll last 18 months or longer at room temperature on your pantry shelf. As long as the seal on your mason jar lid holds strong, your syrup will be safe on the shelf. However, it does lose some of its potency during the canning process and the longer it sits on your pantry shelf.
Once you open your canned jar of elderberry syrup, keep it in your refrigerator. If you add lemon juice either before or after canning, it’ll last 6 months in the fridge. If you don’t add lemon juice, it’ll last 2 to 3 months in the fridge.
Homemade elderberry syrup recipe.
Ingredients: You will need 4 cups of water, 1 cup of dried elderberries, 1/2 cup of dried astragalus root, and 1/4 cup of dried echinacea root. You’ll also need 2 cups of raw honey and 1/4 cup of lemon juice.
If you are using fresh elderberries, use double the quantity called for in this recipe.
Supplies: You’ll need a medium stainless steel pot, wooden spoon, fine mesh sieve, and measuring cups. You’ll also need an airtight container or glass jar to store your finished syrup in.
You can buy elderberry syrup from health food stores or you can make your own elderberry syrup. It’s a great natural remedy when you need or want some extra immune support.
Measure out your ingredients. You can easily double or triple the recipe. They make great gifts!
Add the herbs and water to your pot. Simmer the herbs over medium heat for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
After simmering for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and strain the herbs using a fine mesh sieve. It should be a dark purple color. Set the herbs aside for later. Get your local raw honey and lemon juice ready for the next step.
Wash your pot and reuse it as a mixing vessel.
Pour the strained liquid back into the pot and add 2 cups of raw honey. Stir until the honey is all dissolved. This happens quickly since the liquid is still warm from simmering.
Then add 1/4 cup of lemon juice and stir until it’s mixed in well. The lemon juice is a natural preservative and will help increase the shelf life of elderberry syrup. It also helps relieve a sore throat.
After mixing well, pour your thick syrup into a glass container. I prefer to use glass mason jars and this recipe makes a quart and half-pint jar.
Storage tips.
Label each jar with the date you made the syrup or the “best by” expiration date. It’s also helpful to include instructions on dosages.
Store your finished elderberry syrup in your refrigerator for up to 6 months. Always check for the presence of mold when you go to use your syrup.
You can also water bath can mason jars of elderberry syrup for a longer shelf life!
Save your scraps!
You can save your scraps and reuse them! Although they won’t be as potent as unused herbs, I still think there are some medicinal properties left behind in the scraps.
I often put these scraps in ice cube trays and freeze them. I’ll store the ice cubes in a freezer bag or other container in my freezer and pull them out as I need them.
I then use the cubes to make hot elderberry tea when my family feels under the weather. It’s a great way to get more bang for your buck!
Determining dosage for elderberry syrup.
Determining dosages for elderberry syrup can be a bit tricky. You should consider variables like your age, your level of health and/or sickness, your body weight, your sensitivity to medicines, and the like.
A good rule of thumb is to take the smallest recommended dose, see how it affects you, and then go from there. Either increase or decrease your dosage, or increase or decrease the time in between your dosage.
Adults weighing 140 to 175 pounds
For preventive medicine and general immune support, adults should take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per day during cold and flu season or any time they are around a crowd of people. (Elders that are 60 years and older should take 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per day.)
Divide your preferred dosage in half and take half the dosage in the morning and the other half in the evening. When the herbs are in your system longer, they are more effective.
For acute sickness, adults should take 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon every 30 minutes to 1 hour until the symptoms subside. (Elders that are 60 years and older should take 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon every 2 hours.)
Children
In my opinion, infants shouldn’t be given any medicines, herbal or otherwise, except with extreme caution. The best thing for infants is to nurse. The mother’s antibodies will pass on to her baby through her breastmilk.
Likewise, parents should use extreme caution giving any child medicine.
However, if parents determine that their children need medicine, there are a couple of calculations they can do to determine how much elderberry syrup should be given. Namely, Young’s Rule and Cowling’s Rule.
| Young’s Rule | Cowling’s Rule |
| Description: Add 12 to the child’s age. Divide the child’s age by that total. | Description: Add 1 to the child’s age. Divide that total by 24. |
| Example for a child that is 8 years old: 8+12=20 8/20=0.4 The child would take a bit less than one half of the adult dosage. | Example for a child that is 8 years old: 8+1=9 9/24=0.375 The child would take a bit more than one third of the adult dosage. |
I just want to note that the medical journal for Cowling’s Rule does not recommend using this calculation for children under 6 years old, and no alternative was given.
Variations to the recipe.
If you don’t have any dried or fresh berries, you can substitute with elderberry juice.
Using raw and local honey is best for medicinal purposes. But if you don’t have the good stuff, you can use store bought honey, maple syrup, or vegetable glycerin instead.
If you don’t have lemon juice, you can omit it from the recipe as long as you refrigerate or freeze the finished syrup. But the syrup will only last in your fridge for 2 to 3 months.
You can also add a cinnamon stick when you’re simmering your herbs. I wrote a post on the health benefits of ceylon cinnamon, but it’s useful in stimulating circulation and for clearing congestion.
Recipe card for elderberry syrup.
Elderberry Syrup
Equipment
- measuring cups
- fine mesh sieve
- medium pot
- spatula or wooden spoon
- mason jars with lids
Ingredients
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1 cup dried elderberries
- 1/2 cup dried astragalus root
- 1/4 cup dried echinacea root
- 2 cups raw honey
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Instructions
- In a pot, stir together the water, elderberries, astragalus root, and echinacea and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Strain herbs using a fine mesh sieve and rinse pot to re-use.
- Add strained liquid to the pot along with 2 cups raw honey. Stir until honey is dissolved. (The liquid will still be hot from simmering on the stove, so the honey will usually dissolve quickly.)
- Add 1/4 cups of lemon juice, stir, and pour finished syrup into a quart jar and half-pint mason jar. Label and store in the fridge for up to 6 months.
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Do you make and use your own home remedies? Let me know if you give this easy recipe a try!
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Rosemary Gladstar’s book Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health
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We buy lots of elderberry as our 4 year olds love to bring home the plague, licking the salt off the sides of our car, etc. and one of them gets hospitalized every year. With the ridiculous costs of everything, finding DIY tips is lovely.
Thanks for this! I have elderberries growing on my baby bushes and planned on. making syrup with them. I was wondering how long the syrup was good for. Perfect timing!