The Incredible Edible Elderberry

I have always loved elderberries. As a kid there was an elderberry bush outside my bedroom window. I waited patiently each summer for the first berry clusters to ripen. I’d eat them right off the plant whenever I walked or mowed past the delicious, though tart, fruit.

Our native American elder (Sambucus canadensis) is commonly found along roadways, in ditches, and along woodlands. It grows very well in our dry, hot summers. This plant grows 8 to 10 feet tall and wide, and can be a bit scraggly unless kept under control. The 5 to 12 inch creamy white flowers in June and July are followed by tasty ¼ inch purple-black fruit in August and September.

Elderberries sucker and spread and therefore work best when used in naturalized landscapes. This versatile plant also works well in in shrub borders, roadside plantings, as a screen, in edible landscapes, to attract wildlife, or as part of a native plant garden.

Elderberry fruit is used in preserves, jellies, pies, and syrup. My mom made a delicious elderberry jam, which was amazing on her homemade biscuits. It also makes delightful drinks, including immunity tea, sparkling water, kombucha, wine, craft beer, and cordials. Elton John, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Rolling Stones, and even Prince referred to elderberry wine in their songs.

Last weekend I harvested elderberries that grow on our property. A 5-gallon bucket of picked berries with stems yielded about 10 cups of berries. I made 4 cups into syrup and I dried 6 cups for use later in teas. The recipes are below. I only picked half the berries on my shrub, so next year I plan to pick elder-flowers too.

Finally, a word of caution that you might find this plant on some poisonous plant lists. Stick with eating only elder flowers and fruit because other parts, especially the roots, can be quite poisonous.  

Dried elderberries

Dry fresh elderberries in a dehydrator, oven, or in the sun. I used a dehydrator on medium-high setting for 10-12 hours, then placed them in a glass jar. (6 cups fresh berries produced 5 ounces dry berries. I’ve paid up to $20/pound for dry berries in the past.).

For tea, infuse (steep) 1 teaspoon of dried berries for 5 minutes. Add honey to taste. This is a great immunity builder.

Elderberry syrup (tonic)

4 cups berries (1:1 water to berry ratio for fresh and 2:1 for dried)

4 cups water

4 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

1 ½ cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon whole cloves

1 cup honey (more if like it sweeter)

10 cups fresh elderberries produced
3 cups syrup and 1 pint dry berries. 

1.      Bring berries, water, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to a boil on the stove. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes (longer if you want thicker syrup). Let cool.

2.      Strain the liquid from the berries using a sieve, colander, food mill, or other straining device. Press to get all the liquid out. If still not all liquid, do a final strain through cheese cloth.

3.      Add sweetener (raw honey, real maple syrup, sugar, or other).

Use as a pancake syrup or as a winter tonic to build immunity against flu, colds, and upper respiratory infections. I take 1-tablespoon 3 times a day, or alternate with an elderberry-echinacea tea.

Disclaimer: always discuss herbal supplements, including teas and tonics, with your doctor before using them. Research is inconclusive in the scientific community about many herbal supplements.