It’s getting to be that time of year – when the leaves start to turn, a welcome chill hits the air, and cold and flu season rears it’s ugly head. Enter this Easy Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup!

Elderberries have a ton of antioxidants packed into all those tiny purple berries! Antioxidants that help in a lot of different ways, especially to boost our immune systems.

Elderberry History & Benefits

Historically and in folk medicine, the dried berries or juice are used to treat influenza, infections, sciatica, headaches, dental pain, heart pain, and nerve pain, as well as a laxative and diuretic. Historians have even traced using Elderberries medicinally back to Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician known as the “father of medicine,” who described the plant as his “medicine chest” because of the wide array of health concerns it seemed to cure. The government of Panama actually employed the use of elderberry to fight the flu during the 1995 Panama flu epidemic!

  • Rich in nutrients – Elderberries are naturally high in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, iron, and potassium, among several other essential nutrients.
  • High in dietary fiber
  • A good source of phenolic acids – These compounds are potent antioxidants that can help reduce damage from oxidative stress in the body
  • A good source of flavonols – Elderberry contains the antioxidant flavonols quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin
  • Rich in anthocyanins – These compounds give the fruit its characteristic dark black-purple color and are a strong antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects 
  • Respiratory & Sinus Support – Their anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties can help with sinus infections when the nasal passages become inflamed
  • Mood Boost & Brain Health – Vitamin B6 and antioxidants are great brain food!

NOTE: Even though Elderberries have a ton of great qualities, eating them raw is not one of them! Uncooked Elderberries and their branches, twigs, leaves, roots, and seeds can be toxic in large doses. They have a type of cyanide in them that causes stomach issues. But don’t freak out – simply cooking the berries and not chowing down on the rest of the plant eliminates this!

Gather It!

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There’s a lot of different variations on Elderberry Syrup – if you don’t like some of these ingredients, you don’t have to use them. I’ve even seen a recipe that was just the berries and honey! But I find that the addition of these other elements really rounds out the flavor. I don’t even like cloves, and sometimes ginger isn’t my favorite, but in this I love them.

Make It!

  • Add all the ingredients except the honey into the Instant Pot – squeeze the lemon or orange halves to get the juice out, then throw them in!
  • Add 4 cups of water
  • Set the Instant Pot to 10 minutes, making sure the valve is set to ‘sealing’
  • Let it natural release when done
  • Set Instant Pot to sauté to reduce liquid – I did 2 rounds of 15 minutes
  • Strain liquid through fine mesh strainer or colander lined with cheesecloth and mush around berries to get all the liquid out
  • Let Elderberry Syrup cool to room temperature
  • Add up to 1 cup of honey to cooled Elderberry Syrup – I taste as I go to get it to the sweetness I like
  • Store in a glass jar or bottle in the fridge for up to 2 months – This recipe makes about 2.5 cups of syrup, depending on how much it reduced

This Easy Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup is a great staple to have on hand during the winter months! Whenever you feel a little cold coming on, start taking 1 Tbsp up to 4-6 times daily or 1 Tbsp daily for regular maintenance. For Children over the age of 1, 1 tsp up to 4 times daily.

This is not recommended for children under 1 years old due to the raw honey

We love the rich flavor of Elderberry Syrup – it’s a little tart but full and sweet with the raw honey added. I wouldn’t mind having some in my yogurt or over ice cream honestly!

Will you add this natural remedy to your medicine cabinet…..fridge?

Easy Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup

Easy Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup

Yield: About 2.5 cups
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup dried Elderberries
  • 1 inch peeled and sliced Ginger
  • 1 Lemon or Orange cut in half
  • I T Cloves
  • 2 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1 cup Raw Honey
  • 4 cups Water

Instructions

    1. Add all the ingredients except the honey into the Instant Pot – squeeze the lemon or orange halves to get the juice out, then throw them in!

    2. Add 4 cups of water

    3. Set the Instant Pot to 10 minutes, making sure the valve is set to ‘sealing’

    4. Let it natural release when done

    5. Set Instant Pot to sauté to reduce liquid – I did 2 rounds of 15 minutes

    6. Strain liquid through fine mesh strainer or colander lined with cheesecloth and mush around berries to get all the liquid out

    7. Let Elderberry Syrup cool to room temperature

    8. Add up to 1 cup of honey to cooled Elderberry Syrup – I taste as I go to get it to the sweetness I like

    9. Store in a glass jar or bottle in the fridge for up to 2 months – This recipe makes about 2.5 cups of syrup



© The Kinda DIY Homestead

I am not a medical doctor and the use of any herbal supplement or remedy should be done only after consulting with your medical doctor. Any information published on this blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The entire contents of this blog are based upon the opinions of The Kinda DIY Homestead.