Elderberry Syrup in the Instant Pot Recipe (2024)

This recipe for elderberry syrup calls for the magic of the Instant Pot. In just a few short minutes andsome yummy ingredients you will have a super tasty immune boosting mixture that is perfect for these awful flu filled months!

When I first had my munchkin 5 years ago, I promised myself to be the ideal mother, constantly on the search for life changing immune boosting tricks. I was initially reluctant to listen to my mother in law’s tales from the old country about all the natural remedies they used to do to help kids and adults through the flu or any other ailment. However, when my munchkin got her first fever at 6 months I was ready to give her all the garlic and vinegar and honey and anything else to just make that sweetness feel better.

Fortunately, her fever reducer did the trick as did the vinegar that I wiped her down with…I had to admit that sometimes the natural remedies do work! It was after this point that I realized once my baby got done nursing at 1 years old and getting all her immunity from me I would need to do some serious searching for immune boosting.

Enter elderberry syrup

My best friend first told me about this stuff after my munchkin started daycare and said it was imperative that she take it because it truly helps her little one stay healthy in a cesspool of sick little munchkins.

So I hurried on over to Whole Foods and purchased my $19.99 bottle of Sambucus…aka Elderberry Syrup. Expensive as it was I was willing to pay almost anything to keep my little munchkin healthy year round. But especially in the dead of winters when the sniffles were almost a permanent plague amongst all the daycare dwellers.

It was indeed tasty and effective AND PRICY

For almost 4 years, I purchased this magic concoction from either Amazon or Whole Foods…until one day a friend who was already a loyal user of the Instant Pot informed me (on her quest to convince me to buy the Instant Pot) that she makes Elderberry Syrup for her kids! I was sold.

This syrup was actually the very first thing I made in my Instant Pot Ultra 6 Qt 10-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Cake Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer after I had done the water test. I used a recipe that my friend told me about and then naturally I added my own twist on it.

Into the Instant Pot went my elderberries, a few cinnamon sticks, the and entire orange zested and juiced and half a lemon zested and juiced. Additionally, I added a nice knob of fresh ginger for the health and flavor benefits as well as some of my favorite vanilla paste. I then sealed it all up and set the timer to 7 min on high pressure.

Almost instantly the house was filled with warm scents of cinnamon and citrus. And just a few short moments later I had produced a fabulous brew of immunity boosting deliciousness.

The Technique

1. The Elderberries: The most frequently asked question is where I can find these elderberries. Well fortunately we are in the age Amazon and with Amazon you can find almost anything. I happen to have bought these Frontier Elder Berries Whole Organic – 1 lb particular several times already and all is well 🙂 I typically get 3 batches of (1) 32 ounce jar out of one of these bags. Which is a heck of a lot cheaper than the alternative syrup in the stores.
2. The Flavors: You can pretty much add as much or as little flavor as you want. I stuck to the basics of citrus, vanilla and ginger but feel free to wild here. You can add in cloves, hibiscus, nutmeg, the sky is the limit. You can even add in other dry fruit if you like, I bet some dried strawberries would be awesome in here as well. I just try and limit to my citrus vanilla because that calls to me 🙂
3. The Cooking Process: There really is not much of a cooking process here is there? Throw everything into the Instant Pot, add in some water, seal the Instant Pot and set to manual cooking on high pressure for 7 min. That’s it, once it’s done simply quick release the pressure, and strain over a bowl.
4. Straining: After you have strained into a strainer or colander, you want to push down on the fruit and other ingredients. Smash everything ensuring that you get every last bit out of there. Those berries and citrus hold plenty of delicious flavor, squeeze it all out then discard or put in your trash compost if that’s your thing.
5. Sweeteners: Once the mixture has cooled a bit I like to add some raw honey. You need the mixture to cool down some because if you add in the raw honey to severely hot liquids then all the health and antibiotic properties of honey will be lost due to the heat. If you are not a fan of honey, fell free to add in agave syrup, maple syrup, molasses or just plain sugar. I like honey because it only adds to the health benefits.
6. Consistency: If you have ever purchased this syrup from the stores, you will notice it does have a rather syrupy consistency. This particular one does not. It is all natural and therefore does not have enough sugar in there to be as thick as the store bought ones. Perhaps if you reduce it, the mixture will certainly get more concentrated and thickened…but frankly I do not have the need for such silliness. I’m just fine with my elderberry tea…or juice 🙂
7. Storing: If you are not canning this (which I never do) then simply pour this off into a 32 ounce mason jar and place it in the fridge. Each morning prior to breakfast, take a nice shot of your delicious syrup and boost your immunity! This lasts me over a month in the fridge typically.

While this delicious elderberry concoction does not cure all the sniffles, fevers and tummy aches it sure as heck does help my munchkin ward off illnesses. In fact, one doctor even said that as soon as the symptoms of sickness show up, to double the elderberry consumption in an effort to fight off the bug faster. No matter how much truth there is to this…I would rather have my munchkin load up on this yumminess any day instead of her running a rampant fever.

I bet you would too 🙂

Enjoy!

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