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Elderberry oxymel is a potent, all-natural remedy that combines the immune-boosting power of elderberries with the soothing properties of honey and apple cider vinegar. This simple, flavorful concoction is perfect for supporting your immune system, especially during cold and flu season.
Elderberry oxymel is a simple, delicious way to incorporate the immune-boosting properties of elderberries into your daily routine. With just three ingredients, you can create a potent and soothing remedy that supports your immune system, especially during cold and flu season. Whether you use it as a tonic or add it to your meals, elderberry oxymel is an excellent addition to your herbal toolkit.
Elderberry syrup always helped me feel better as a child, as a natural cough syrup and to provide some much-needed energy when I was sick. It’s comforting on the throat, and I’d begin to feel better almost immediately.
Elderberries are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and compounds that help strengthen the immune system. Studies have shown that elderberries can reduce the duration and severity of cold and flu symptoms. Elderberries also have antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial qualities, making them a fantastic addition to your wellness routine.
As an adult, I went to find a bottle and I was pretty shocked at the price tag. On average, it was about $3 per ounce. I was used to taking an ounce at a time in a shot glass, 2-3 times per day. That’s a pretty expensive habit if you’re sick for more than a day or two.
A quick check of the ingredients list and you’ll find that it’s actually just 3 ingredients: elderberry juice, honey and cider vinegar.
Most elderberry syrup recipes aren’t shelf stable on their own, and you have to add either cider vinegar or brandy to ensure that they’ll keep. Not everyone wants brandy when they’re feeling under the weather, but a little apple cider vinegar is perfect for balancing the sweetness of the honey and incorporating natural probiotics.
This shelf stable elderberry syrup is actually another remedy altogether: Elderberry Oxymel.
Elderberry oxymel follows the same basic principles as other herbal oxymels but offers a potent twist with the powerful immune-supporting properties of elderberries.
What is an Oxymel?
An oxymel is a simple herbal remedy made from three ingredients: herbs, vinegar and honey. These apple cider vinegar and honey work together to extract and preserve the beneficial properties of herbs.
Vinegar acts as a solvent, pulling out the medicinal properties from the herbs, while raw honey adds antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory benefits and helps preserve the mixture. And the honey turns the mix into a syrup that helps the medicine go down easy.
Ingredients for Elderberry Oxymel
Making elderberry oxymel is simple and requires just three ingredients:
- Dried elderberries
- Raw honey
- Apple cider vinegar (with the mother)
You’ll also need a mason jar to mix everything together, and a plastic lid is recommended to prevent rust from forming when the vinegar interacts with the jar.
How to Make Elderberry Oxymel
Making elderberry oxymel is quick and easy. Start by placing your dried elderberries into a clean mason jar. For a quart-sized jar, you’ll want about 1 cup of dried elderberries. You can use more if you like, and the more berries you use, the stronger the infusion will be.
Elderberries are pretty strong, and I find that filling the jar about 1/4 of the way with elderberries is just about perfect. But you can fill the jar 1/2 way for a more intense flavor.
Next, pour apple cider vinegar into the jar, filling it to about halfway. You can adjust this depending on how tart you want the oxymel to be, but I personally prefer a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to honey.
Then, add the raw honey, filling the jar about an inch below the lid. Give the jar a good shake to mix everything together, ensuring that the elderberries are fully submerged in the vinegar-honey mixture.
Some people like to add a bit of extra acidity by including a splash of additional vinegar or even a squeeze of lemon juice, though this is optional.
Once everything is combined, seal the jar with a loose and place it in a cool, dark place to ferment for 3 to 4 weeks. The live cultures in the vinegar will actually begin to go to work on the honey and elderberris, creating natural probiotics in the process. Be sure to keep the lid lose to allow the CO2 from the ferment to escape.
During this time, the vinegar will extract the beneficial compounds from the elderberries, while the honey will preserve and enhance the mixture’s medicinal properties.
Shake the jar every few days (tightening the lid before you shake) to help redistribute the ingredients and ensure the elderberries stay submerged. If you notice any elderberries floating above the liquid, simply top off the jar with more vinegar or honey to keep them covered.
Straining and Storing Elderberry Oxymel
After 3 to 4 weeks, your elderberry oxymel should be ready to strain. Using a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pour the contents of the jar into a clean jar, leaving the elderberries behind. The liquid you’re left with is your finished elderberry oxymel.
Label the jar with the date so you can track its shelf life. When stored properly in a cool, dark place, elderberry oxymel can last up to 6 months, though it’s best used within the first few months to ensure maximum potency.
You can use those elderberries one more time to make a quick cup of tea before tossing them in the compost. That’s optional, but they will still have a bit of goodness left to give.
How to Use Elderberry Oxymel
There are many ways to enjoy elderberry oxymel, and the way you use it depends on your needs. For general immune support or to combat cold and flu symptoms, a tablespoon a few times a day is typically enough. You can take it straight or dilute it with warm water for a soothing drink.
Elderberry oxymel also works well as a tangy addition to salad dressings, marinades, or roasted vegetables. If you’re looking for a refreshing beverage, try adding a tablespoon to sparkling water for a naturally sweet, tart, and immune-boosting drink.
Whether you’re feeling under the weather or simply want to boost your immune system, elderberry oxymel is a natural and effective way to give your body a little extra support. Keep a jar on hand, and enjoy the benefits of this simple yet powerful remedy!
Elderberry Oxymel
Equipment
- Quart Mason Jar
Ingredients
- 1 cup elderberries, dried or fresh, use a bit more if fresh
- 1 1/2 cups raw honey
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar, with the mother
Instructions
- Prepare the Jar: Place 1 cup of dried elderberries into a clean mason jar, filling it about ¼ of the way full. (For a more intense flavor, fill it halfway with elderberries.)
- Add Vinegar: Pour apple cider vinegar into the jar until it’s halfway full. You'll need about 1 1/2 cups. Adjust to taste for more or less tartness.
- Add Honey: Fill the jar with raw honey, using about 1 1/2 cups, leaving about an inch of space below the lid.
- Shake Well: Secure the lid and shake to mix, ensuring the elderberries are fully submerged.
- Fermentation: Store in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks, shaking the jar every few days to redistribute the ingredients.
- Strain & Store: After 3-4 weeks, strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean jar. Discard the elderberries or use them for tea.
- Label & Enjoy: Label the jar with the date. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Take 1 tablespoon a few times a day for immune support or to relieve cold and flu symptoms.
- Dilute with warm water for a soothing drink.
- Add to sparkling water for a refreshing, tangy beverage.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Our first harvest from newly planted elderberries – I steam juiced several pints – gonna definitely try making some of this!
I like to add oxymel to sparkling mineral water for a delightful drink.
Yes, that’s a great idea!
I squeeze the berries with a small press then strain the juice and heat it to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes and then add ingredients of my liking, I pour into pint jars with a good seal lid and put them in the freezer, pull one at a time and leave in refrigerator while taking a couple tbsp a day
What are the best straining methods to seperate the seed?
Once the juices have been extracted from the berries, you can just strain the entire mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
Hi, I just wanted to share that I made an oxymel with the fresh black elderberries once – just honey and the fresh, uncooked elderberries. Here’s a link to the recipe I tried. https://www.growforagecookferment.com/fermented-elderberry-honey/
This recipe says that the fermentation process can be used instead of heat to “remove the toxicity”, but they also recommend straining out the berries. When I mixed the berries with honey, I let it ferment on my counter until I liked the sour sweet taste, then I refrigerated them. I did eat the fermented seeds to no ill effect. I enjoyed this fermented food and wonder about how it compares to the elderberries, honey vinegar recipe shared here.
I would think that it would have very similar nutritional value as the oxymel.
How long did you put I pressure cooker for?
You can use the same amount of time as the stovetop method, about 10 minutes.
Did you use the same amount of water and berries when you juiced them in the insta pot?
Yes, you can use the same amounts.
Hi Ashley, do you consider this shelf-stable? Feeling conflicted if I should put it in the fridge!
Thanks, Hillary
You can safely keep it at room temperature for several months but if you feel more comfortable keeping it in the fridge and have the space then by all means do so. It will just extend the life if you don’t use it up right away.
Thanks for sharing this great recipe. You mentioned cooking the elderberries with a 1/2C water. What volume of elderberries would you use, then? Thanks!
It’s not super important how much elderberries you use. The small amount of water is really just a vehicle to get the berries to pop in order to juice them.
Thank you for the lovely article! I just wanted to add- it’s not just that it’s *thought* to be poisonous! The science isn’t a mystery. As another commenter said, the leaves, bark, roots, and uncooked seeds contain a cyanide-inducing glycoside which, when ingested in large quantities or over a long period of time, can indeed make you very ill. I think it’s important when sharing this sort of information to not mince words about preparing your product properly! In this case, if you eat too much of these glycosides, you can experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, of even be put in a coma.
All easily avoidable by cooking your berries!
Are you using APPLE cider vineager or is cider vineager different?
Yep, apple cider vinegar.
The seeds, stems, leaves and roots of the Black Elder are all poisonous to humans. … Cooking the berries destroys the glycosides present in the seeds, making the berries with their seeds safe to eat. As such, the fruit of the Black Elderberry should always be cooked before consumption.
Thank you. That’s why I mentioned it in the post.
HI..I have been an elderberry. user since 1999, and occasionally have eaten a handful or 2 of the raw berries. SO far, no ill effects. I make tinctures , and when I have an abundance of fresh berries, a wine! It once went from brewing wine straight to a delicious vinegar. made really good salad dressing!
Lynn
NH
Thank you for this article. I am very fond of oxymels!
I’m curious if it matters how many cups of elderberries you have to the 1/2 cup of water when you were making the juice?
It doesn’t matter how many elderberries you use in relation to the water. The water is really just there to be sure that the berries don’t burn in the pot.
There is no mention of straining the juice before adding the honey and vinegar, I make jelly all the time and want to make this and I strain the skins and little seeds out, do you strain it for the oxemel?
Yes, strain it like you would for jelly. I’ll have to go back in and correct that, thanks!
I do elderberry syrup at home, this seems to be simpler with the same effect.
Could I use dried elderberries in this recipe? Same directions or something different?
Yes, you can use dried. A couple options…infuse them into the vinegar, or make a very strong tea of them and use that in place of the elderberry juice. The tea version will result in more elderberry flavor.
Hi thanks for the recipe. I am one of those that can not drink the elder juice raw. I even knew this from my reading. But somewhere along my journey forgot about it and while juicing a large raw batch I chugged a good amount 2 or 3 cups being so pleased to have my own wild harvested berries. While I didn’t end up hospitalized I did become violently sick throwing up and diarrhea both for a couple of days. It was as though I had given my self the flu. It didn’t take me long to remember that I had read the dangers of drinking the raw juice. Wont do that again!
Thank you! I am newly moving to UK at age 59, and I have never heard this before, and I NEEDED to know this. I was known – on my Permaculture Design Course – to put things in my mouth that were not good for “living.” Thank you for saving my juice-loving mouth’s life!