Instant Pot Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe - Simply Preparing (2024)

FAQs

How to safely prepare elderberries? ›

While I have eaten raw elderberries in small amounts with no ill effects, some people are more sensitive, so it is safer to cook them. Cooking the berries in water for at least 30 minutes deactivates the toxins. Therefore syrups and decoctions are the best way to get the benefits safely from the berries.

To neutralize toxins, specifically cyanide-inducing glycosides, heat treatment is a must. Boiling elderberries for at least 30 minutes is the go-to method. This ensures the destruction of harmful compounds. Steaming or baking can also do the trick, as long as the berries reach a high enough temperature.

Homemade elderberry syrup stored in a glass jar generally lasts 2-3 weeks if the pH is not below 4.2. However, its shelf life can be extended anywhere from 3 to 6 months if you've added an acidifier like lemon juice, citric acid, malic acid, or the liken and keep it in the “way back” of the refrigerator.

There is a downside to consuming too much elderberry, and that is an upset stomach. Just like with any high fiber fruit, eating too much can cause stomach pain, upset stomach, and diarrhea.

The uncooked berries, leaves, bark, and roots of the elderberry plant contain the chemicals lectin and cyanide, which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Cooking the berries and seeds will remove the cyanide.

The most crucial process in removing cyanide from elderberries is cooking. The heat breaks down the harmful glycoside compounds, lowering the cyanide levels to a safe quantity. Remember, caution must be exercised with elderberries always.

Elderberries contain vitamin C, but much of it is destroyed by heat. Adding lemon juice provides an additional vitamin C boost to the syrup.

Elderberries were more prone to decrease anthocyanin content after cooking process. Nevertheless, about 70% of the anthocyanins were recovered from the fruit and the water used in the cooking process. Berry anthocyanins' content decreased the most in jam, and in recipes with baking soda.

Some varieties of elderberries can be toxic when eaten raw – the best way to avoid this is to make sure you always cook your elderberries well first. There are recipes that use raw elderberries but these are best avoided.

Homemade Elderberry Syrup vs Store Bought

By comparison, my homemade syrup is about a quarter of the price of over-the-counter options. The other draw back of over-the-counter versions is the sweetener, usually it's glucose. My recipe uses raw honey as a sweetener, which has so many healing properties.

Can you take homemade elderberry syrup daily? ›

Elderberries offer excellent nutrition that contains antioxidants and vitamin C, which can boost the immune system among other benefits. Yes, you can take elderberry supplements daily, even three to four times a day. However, you should not take more than the recommended daily dose.

Elderberry appears to have few side effects when used properly for short periods of time (up to 5 days). Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not take elderberry. If you have an autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, ask your doctor before taking elderberry, as it may stimulate the immune system.

Cardiovascular disease risk biomarkers and liver and kidney function are not altered in postmenopausal women after ingesting an elderberry extract rich in anthocyanins for 12 weeks.

Elderberries should always be cooked and processed before they're consumed. Unripened, raw elderberries can release toxins into your body. Even ripe berries can contain trace amounts of cyanide, so you must cook elderberries before consumption.

Elderberries must not be consumed raw. Elderberry leaves, stems, and seeds contain a cyanogenic glycoside called sambunigrin. Never eat the leaves and try to remove as many as the stems of the berries as possible. Cooking the berries destroys the toxins in the seeds.

When uncooked, elderberries contain a toxic substance that can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, so any preparation of elderberries you use should be cooked. Commercial preparations of elderberry such as syrups and lozenges don't contain this substance and are generally recognized as safe for that reason.