Preserving
Elderberry Syrup
A dark, spicy winter tonic of elderberries, ginger and honey, made from one hedgerow harvest.
22 September 2026 5 min read Serves 12
Foraging notes
Fully ripe elderberry clusters, heavy and dark, cut whole and stripped with a fork.
Elderberries must always be cooked. Raw berries, stems and leaves cause stomach upset, so simmer them thoroughly.
Strip the berries from their stalks with a fork so no green stem ends up in the pot.
Best months
Ingredients
- 1kg elderberries, stripped
- 1L water
- 5cm piece of ginger, sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 300g runny honey
Method
Simmer
Put the berries, water, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a pan and simmer for 40 minutes, mashing the fruit now and then.
Strain
Strain through muslin and squeeze hard for once: this is a syrup, not a jelly, so clarity does not matter.
Sweeten
Cool until just warm, stir in the honey and lemon juice until dissolved, and bottle.
Kitchen tip: Keeps three weeks in the fridge, or freeze in ice-cube trays for winter doses stirred into hot water.
