Harvest the prolific blooms of the elderberry to use in elderflower recipes. Try this elderberry tincture recipe or learn how to make elderflower syrup.
Elderflowers are used medicinally in syrups, teas, and tinctures. The flowers are ready to be picked when the head is in full or mostly full bloom.
Drying Flowers for Elderflower Tea
You can then dry the flowers by spreading them on parchment paper and drying them in a dehydrator or oven at 95 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit until crisp. Store in glass jars.
Turn your dried elderberry flowers into tea by steeping 2 teaspoons flowers in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes.
How to Make Elderflower Syrup
- Prepare a strong tea (called an “infusion”) — 4 teaspoons dried flowers to 1 cup water.
- Add the infusion to 1 cup honey or maple syrup.
- Simmer gently for 1 hour, or until liquid is reduced by half.
- Refrigerate, freeze, or can following instructions for canning elderberry juice.
Elderflower Tincture Recipe
- Fill a quart jar half to 2/3 full of the flowers (dried or fresh), and add a strong alcohol, such as vodka, to cover them.
- Place a piece of wax paper on top, then the lid and ring.
- Shake well.
- Place in a cool, dark area for 4 to 6 weeks, shaking daily. If the alcohol level drops below the herbs, top it off. Select an alcohol that’s at least 40% alcohol or 90-proof, such as vodka, rum, or brandy.
Elderberry Safety: Can You Eat Elderberries Raw?
Please use caution to avoid cyanide toxicity. Only the flowers and ripe, cooked berries are edible; no other part of the elderberry plant is safe for human consumption. Boil or pressure cook berries for at least five minutes to reduce cyanide compounds.
Elderberries: A Wondrous and Wild Fruit
Jenny Underwood is a home-schooling mama to four lively blessings. She makes her home in the rural foothills of the Ozark Mountains with her husband of 20 years. You can find her reading a good book, drinking coffee, and gardening on their little fifth-generation homestead. She blogs at Our Inconvenient Family.
Originally published as part of “Elderberries: A Wondrous and Wild Fruit” in the August/September 2023 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.