Elderberry syrup is a herbal tonic traditionally made with elderberries and honey, and used to support immune system health and provide antioxidants.

Many people seeking health benefits will drink a little “shot” (About 2 tsps) of syrup everyday.  Others will wait until they are feeling run-down (as if their body is fighting an infection) and will take 2-3 shots on that day. Other people add Ohio Elderberry Syrup to smoothies, tea, or mocktails or use it when making salad dressings, glazings, or dessert sauces.

Elderberries are very high in antioxidants and phytochemicals. I am a grower and producer, not a chemist, but my understanding is that phytochemicals are chemicals the plant makes to defend itself against viruses, bacteria, and other stressors.

Antioxidants are chemicals that reduce the action of free radicals in the body. There are many different types of antioxidants and phytochemicals, and scientists don’t fully understand how they all affect the human body. 

You may keep Ohio Elderberry Syrup in your pantry until you open it.  After you open it, it should be refrigerated and used within 2-3 months. It can also be frozen in ice cube trays. 

Ohio Elderberry Syrup should be opened by the date on the bottom of the bottle (the “best by” date).  After you open it, please store it in your refrigerator and use within 2-3 months. If you don’t think you will be able to use it all within 2-3 months, you can freeze it in ice cube trays and take out an individual serving of elderberry syrup when you want it.

If it smells okay and you don’t see anything fuzzy growing in the bottle, it’s still safe.

If the bottle makes a “hiss” when you open it, or seems fizzy or carbonated, the syrup is fermenting. This is a natural process and not a safety concern.

Fermentation will change the flavor and properties of the syrup.  If your syrup has begun to ferment, use it promptly or freeze in ice cube trays for future use. 

Refrigeration delays the fermentation process, so if you keep your syrup in a cooler part of the fridge, it will not ferment as quickly.

Most of us associate the term “syrup” with pancake syrup, so you may be surprised that Ohio Elderberry Syrup is not thick.  In herbalism, a “syrup” is any preparation to which a sweetener has been added.  We add honey, so it is a “syrup.”

If you come across a thick elderberry syrup, check the ingredients.  Most larger elderberry producers thicken their syrups with glycerin, glucose syrup, or sugar.  We could make our syrup thicker and sweeter by adding any of these ingredients, or more honey.  However, many of our customers express that they appreciate that Ohio Elderberry Syrup is not over-sweet, and we like that the berry flavor comes through.

No. Like apples, some parts of the elderberry contain proto-cyanide glycosides, or cyanide precursors.  When you body processes these glycosides, it makes cyanide, which is poisonous. 

In apples these glycosides are concentrated in the seeds. Don’t eat apple seeds.  In elderberries, these chemicals are concentrated in the leaves, stems, and green berries. Don’t eat elderberry leaves, stems or green berries.

Statements made about elderberry being poisonous (which it is not) were first made in reference to the use of the European Elderberry (Sambucus nigra). The American elderberry, Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis (which we grow) contains a fraction of the glycosides that exist in the European elderberry. 

For more information about this see:

Appenteng MK, Krueger R, Johnson MC, Ingold H, Bell R, Thomas AL, Greenlief CM. Cyanogenic Glycoside Analysis in American Elderberry. Molecules. 2021 Mar 4;26(5):1384. doi: 10.3390/molecules26051384. PMID: 33806603; PMCID: PMC7961730.