Easy Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup

If you are wanting to have some Elderberry Syrup on hand for sick season, this easy Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup Recipe could not be simpler. AND you will save sooo much money making your own Elderberry Syrup vs buying it in a bottle.

Plus, I think homemade elderberry is wayyyy better too than any of the store-bought stuff I have tasted.

I have been making Elderberry Syrup for 6 years now. I remember how intimating this recipe was, because I was afraid of poisoning my family. But it really is so simple and safe to make elderberry syrup, especially in the instant pot.

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Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Tastes so yummy and you can control the sweetness by adding more honey if you would like
It makes a fair amount of Elderberry Syrup which is such a money saver compared to store-bought elderberry syrup
It really is so easy and fairly hands off recipe.

Ingredients

Dried Elderberries
Cinnamon Sticks
Whole Raw Ginger
Whole Cloves
Raw Local Honey or Raw Organic Honey

Tools you may need:

How to Make Elderberry Syrup

Step 1: Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot *EXCEPT* for honey.

Step 2: Place the lid on the instant pot and make sure that you flip the valve at the top to sealing (Meaning steam shouldn’t be coming out the top).

Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup Sealing position

Step 3: On the Instant Pot select Manual or Pressure Cook and press the +/- buttons to get to 12 minutes.

Step 4: When the 12 minutes are up (it will be longer than 12 minutes, bc it has to gain pressure) take a long spoon of some kind and toggle the valve to Quick Release. This is when you move the vent valve from sealing to the venting position.

Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup Quick Release

Step 5: When the pressure has been released (little red indicator goes all the way down) remove the lid.

Step 6: Then press the CANCEL button and select the SAUTE button. Select 10 minutes for Saute (this helps ensure any toxins in the seeds have been removed). You do not need to stir while it is sautéing.

Step 7: Strain the berries through a fine mesh strainer and while the berries are in the strainer push them down with the bottom of a cup to get more of the liquid out of the berries.

Step 8: Discard the berry mixture and allow the liquid to cool for 15 minutes and then add the honey. You want to make sure you allow the liquid to cool some so it doesn’t damage the enzymes of the honey, but not too cool or the honey doesn’t come together with berry mixture.

Step 9: Store in a jar in the fridge for a few weeks. My kids take about 1/2 a shot glass worth and my husband and I take a whole shot glass worth daily during sick season. During an illness you can increase the frequency to 3x a day or more.

Tips

Where to Source Elderberries

I use these dried organic elderberries and they keep for over a year if sealed up and stored in the pantry. Many women have told me that if you know what to look for elderberries grow in many places around North America and that it could be easy to forage for them. I haven’t got that far yet and have settled for buying the dried elderberries.

Multiple Batches of Elderberry Syrup and Freezing Elderberry Syrup

I also make multiple batches to share or I freeze the elderberry syrup in the freezer with these souper molds.

Note for Babies Under One:

If you are going to give some elderberry syrup to your baby, you may want to substitute the honey for maple syrup.

Local Honey

One extra key is to try and get local honey if possible. Most honey at the store has been pasteurized and heated up killing many of the best properties of the honey.

Also, a lot of honey on the shelf has been cut with types of corn syrup creating lots of counterfeit honey. Even my local healthy grocery store workers told me that there was no way of knowing if the “raw local honey” was actually what it said it was.

Recipe FAQ’s

Can I use fresh or dried elderberries?

Yes, just double the amount of berries since fresh berries have more water in them.

Are raw elderberries safe to eat?

No, never eat raw elderberries. They have compounds in them that can really make you sick, but cooking them like we are doing breaks down those compounds and gives you the nutritional benefits.

What is the recommended dosage?

In my family the kids do 1/2 a shot glass daily and Matt and I do about that or a little more. Really and truly I just open the jar out of the fridge and take a sip daily, but when I am sick I am taking it 3-4 times a day.