Fermented elderberry honey is a tasty way to boost your immune system. This herbal remedy is perfect for making when elderberries are ripe in the fall and is super simple to throw together. I never go a cold and flu season without this in my herbal apothecary!
I want to make all elderberry recipes when elderberry season is here. Sometimes, I need a quick and simple recipe that makes it easy to use fresh ingredients.
Ever since I made my fermented honey garlic and fermented honey cranberries, I’ve been interested in making more fermented honey recipes. They are so easy to make and have tons of medicinal benefits.
So, the first thing that came to my mind when I came across fresh elderberries was to make fermented elderberry honey!
Wildcrafting Weeds
If you want to learn more about the edible and medicinal weeds that surround us and how to use them, check out my eBook: Wildcrafting Weeds: 20 Easy to Forage Edible and Medicinal Plants (that might be growing in your backyard)!
Elderberry Benefits
Elderberries have tons of benefits and are great for fermenting in raw honey for even more health benefits.
Elderberries are antiviral and antioxidant, making them a powerful stimulant for the immune system. They are best used when you know you’ve been exposed or at the onset of a cold or flu.
Elderberry can reduce the duration of illness considerably and also helps with coughs and congestion.
Elderberry syrup is also very helpful for keeping our immune systems healthy!
Raw honey also has medicinal benefits on its own, and when it’s fermented, it has beneficial bacteria that will help to prevent sickness.
Elderberry Safety
Elderberries are easy to forage for and grow in many locations. They have become very popular in recent years due to their immune boosting potential.
It’s important to remember that elderberry stems, leaves, and unripe berries are toxic. Be sure to remove all of those before making this recipe.
The easiest way to remove the berries from their stems is to freeze the clusters whole. Once frozen, the berries pop right off.
Red elderberries should not be used in this recipe, as they are toxic when raw.
Black and blue elderberries sometimes have a tiny amount of toxicity when raw, mainly in the seeds, which can cause stomach upset in some people.
The fermentation process in this recipe removes any small amount of toxicity that may be there. Out of an abundance of caution I recommend straining out the berries before consuming the fermented elderberry honey.
Fermented Elderberry Honey Recipe
When fresh elderberries are combined with raw honey, the moisture content, along with the natural yeast that is present on the surface, creates an environment that is perfect for fermentation.
Simply combine fresh elderberries in jar with raw honey.
Cap it with a lid (use parchment paper in between if you are using a metal lid) and turn it over for 30 minutes or so to coat all of the elderberries with honey.
Then, turn upright and loosen the lid to let fermentation gases escape. Let it ferment in an out-of-the-way spot, and in 2-3 days, you should start to notice some bubbles forming.
It helps to tighten the lid and turn the jar for the first few days, just remember to re-loosen the lid afterward.
After a few weeks, you will really start to see a lot of bubbles! At this point, it is ready to use. Strain out the elderberries before consuming.
Using Dried Elderberries
You can use dried elderberries instead of fresh if you would like, but they will need to be rehydrated in water before combining with the honey. Otherwise, it’s just an elderberry infused honey. Which is also beneficial, but not fermented.
My favorite place to get organic dried elderberries is Mountain Rose Herbs.
Let me just say this: this fermented elderberry honey is so delicious!
It definitely does not taste like medicine, more like something that you would put on top of ice cream. Yum!
I love combining all of my favorite things like this. Take a foraged ingredient like elderberries and fermenting it into delicious tasting herbal medicine!
Elderberries are such an important part of anyone’s herbal apothecary, and this is probably my new favorite way to use them.
This is one recipe that you will definitely have to try this season – trust me!
I have some exciting news! My book, Healing Herbal Infusions, is available right now! It includes all types of infusion recipes including a few honey ferments similar to this one. Woo hoo!
More Elderberry Recipes
Show your immune system some extra love and discover your favorite way to enjoy elderberries!
- Fermented Elderberry Soda
- Immune Boosting Tea with Elderberries
- Elderberry & Echinacea Tincture
- Elderberry Mead
- Elderberry Gummies
- Elderberry Cocktail
Fermented Elderberry Honey
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh black or blue elderberries (do not use red elderberries)
- 1-1.5 cups raw honey
Instructions
- Put the elderberries into a pint sized mason jar, then add the honey to cover the berries leaving at least an inch of head space at the top of the jar.
- Cap the jar with a plastic storage lid or use a piece of parchment paper underneath the metal lid. Invert the jar for about 30 minutes or longer to make sure that all of the elderberries are coated with honey.
- Turn the jar upright again. After the elderberries and honey have settled and all of the air bubbles are gone you may need to add a bit more honey to cover the berries.
- Loosen the lid to allow air to escape during fermentation and place the jar somewhere out of the way. For the first 2-3 days it is helpful to invert the jar daily then turn it upright again. Be sure to tighten the lid before inverting then loosen again once upright.
- Within about 2-3 days (could be longer in cooler temperatures) you should begin to see small bubbles on the surface and the honey will be noticeably runnier.
- After one or two weeks you will see a lot of bubbles! Give it a stir now and then and it will really bubble up. The honey is ready at any point after this and will continue to slowly ferment for weeks and months.
- Strain out the elderberries before consuming.
- Take a spoonful two to three times per day when you feel a sickness coming on to shorten the duration of a cold or flu.
Notes
- You can use dried elderberries instead of fresh if you would like, but they will need to be rehydrated in water first before combining with the honey.
- Serving: Take a spoonful two to three times per day when you feel a sickness coming on to shorten the duration of a cold or flu.
I’ve made a mistake of letting my elderberries dry just sitting out. They smell a bit like wine. Not moldy. I was wondering even if they were fermenting, if I could still use this recipe? I don’t want to waste them. First year newbie, here.
Hi Carrie. It depends on how dry they are. If they’re completely void of liquid, the best you can do is infuse your honey (for fermentation to take place, liquid needs to be present).
I made this exactly as instructed — although turning it upside-down to recoat the berries after the first few days caused considerable leakage, so I lost some honey and topped it off with a little more to cover the berries again. It’s been fermenting in the cupboard for about three weeks now and it smells like wine. Should I assume that’s normal? (I’m not familiar with fermented fruits, only vegetables, so I don’t know what’s just normal “fermented fruit” smell and what’s “we made alcohol” smell.)
Hi Rachel. Yes, that’s totally normal. Once there is no longer any bubbles, you can close the lid and store in your pantry for whenever you need an immune boost.
I have just realised that my elderberries and honey have been fermenting together for about 5 months!! Have I left it too long?? I am just straining them and they do taste good, but will it be OK?
Yes, they will be totally fine! Enjoy!
Thank you!! Lovely to hear that it will fine ……and I will certainly enjoy 😊
Hi! I gave this 4 stars even though I haven’t tried it. It just sounds so good!! My question, is there a shelf life on this?
It’ll last on a cool, dark pantry shelf for a year or longer.
Hi, I didn’t read this carefully as I should have and I used frozen elderberries. The jar is sweating as they defrost in there .. should I refrigerate them or just leave them in a cool dark place like a pantry? Will this cause a problem bc they were frozen? Fyi I picked them fresh from a wild tree and froze them.
Hi Alaura. I think they should be fine, however, it may take longer for your honey to ferment. I would place them in a warmer area of your home until they come to room temperature.
can I use frozen elderberries in this recipe?
As long as they’re thawed first, yes, you can use frozen elderberries.
I made a batch and it’s lovely. I strained the berries out after the ferment and put the honey back into a clean jar. Next time can I smash the berries in the cheesecloth before I re jar to get all the juice into the honey I am storing and gifting? Would that change the shelf life in the pantry?
Hi Annie. That should be totally fine to do. Enjoy!
Hello all! I had a question, if fermenting the elderberries makes them no longer toxic, why do I need to strain the berries out? They’re coated in such delicious honey I do t wanna waste it.
Any uses for the strained elderberry & honey pulp and seeds? Does anyone squeeze the berries through cheese cloth to get the most of the “goodness”out ?? Thanks so much.
Hi Elizabeth. Elderberries are filled with seeds and can make and give your fermented honey an unpleasant texture, so it’s my personal preference to strain them out. You could try drying your elderberry honey pulp for herbal tea.
Hi. I made this recipe about a week ago. Today I caught a whiff of it and it smelled very strong of alcohol. Is that normal? Thank you!
This recipe sounds fabulous. We have lots of elderberries where I live and I’d like to try it out. Does the fermenting process only work with RAW honey or can I also use normal organic honey for this?
Hi Astrid. Raw honey works best for this recipe.
Will cooked berries still ferment?
Unlikely. Fermenting elderberries removes the toxicity so cooking them first is unnecessary.
How does this work? How can I be sure it worked? I live in Florida, never got many bubbles at all in my fermentation.
(Thawed elderberries & raw wildflower honey)
Hello, where I live I cannot find fresh elderberry, only frozen. I checked the label and there is no added sugar. Can I use it frozen? And if so, should I thaw the berries before starting the whole procedure? Thank you, from Thailand
Hi Susanna. Yes, you’ll need to thaw the elderberries before using them.
I always rinse my elderberries in a cool water bath before destemming, Will the wild yeast still be on the rinsed berries?
It’s hard to say. You’ll probably lose some, but I’m sure some will remain.
I’m new to foraging so I thought elderberry had to be cooked to use.. Do I need to boil them first
No. Fermenting elderberries removes the small amount of toxicity in the elderberries.
I made this wonderful ferment last year and it worked perfectly. This year I used dried elderberries as well, but my honey has hardened or got so thick it just barely will go to the bottom when I invert. I put cinnamon in it from the recipe book. But now I’m wondering is there something I can do to fix it? Or is it ruined? Thank you so much.
Hi Cheri. You could try liquifying your honey by boiling a few inches of water, letting it cool a bit, and placing the jar of honey in it.
I think I figured out that I didn’t rehydrate my berries before I started the fermentation. Can I add some filtered water to the mix to rehydrate it and get it going? I hate to waste those berries..
Hmm, it’s worth a shot. I’ve never tried that, so I can’t say for sure, but I think it could work.
Hi
I have made this but after less than a week it stopped bubbling, what can I do to keep the fermentation process going?
Thanks
Hi Marcia, it’s really hard for me to say. There are so many variables involved? If you live in a warmer climate, it could be finished fermenting or if the ferment experienced temperature fluctuations and is now too cold, it may have gone dormant. Try moving it to a slightly warmer area of your home and see if the bubbling recontinues.
I’m so excited to try this recipe when my elderberries come on this summer. I’m thinking of adding the juice of one lemon and possibly a little zest as you do with orange in you fermented honey cranberries (which I have made 3 times now and absolutely LOVE!). Lemon juice greatly enhances the elderberry flavor when making jelly. I’m hoping that translates to the honey ferment as well.
Hi Kelly! I think lemon juice would be a great addition!
I started this 2.5 weeks ago and I’m going to strain out the berries today. Do I continue to leave the lid loose for air to escape? or was that only for the first couple of weeks that you do that?
Hi Sarah. After you remove the berries, you can screw the lid down tightly.
Very very thick honey with berries for a month… how on earth do I strain and use? Very thick.
If you’ve started with a very thick or crystalized honey, you could try placing it in a pot of warm water and stirring until it becomes less viscous.
I am excited to try this recipe in place of the syrup I have made in the past. what is the ratio of water to dried berries for rehydration? I have a black elderberry bush and the berries kind of died right on the tree in the drought summer we had. I have purchased dried berries for my syrups this year. thank you kindly.
Hi Patti. Typically for every 1/2 cup of dried elderberries, you’ll want to soak them in 3/4 cup water overnight.
Hi Colleen, love your site tho the proverbial adds drive you a bit nuts !
Just to say I’ve used elderberries for years making wine eaten them raw also but on this one occasion the person I was out walking with had never tried them so I picked a small bunch for her to try which she cautiously did after which I just munched mine and hers ( not many) at home an hour later I became quite ill!
Very flushed red extremely nauseous and unbalanced to the point I nearly decided on hospital , after checking internet sources I’d obviously crunched the seeds and poisoned myself with Arsenic! The internet info I got was from a Alder farmer who’s neighbour got ill after eating his dried produce so he tried it himself with disturbing results.
The plant is very important medicinally but those seeds are a potentially lethal aspect 🌞
Thanks for sharing your life experiences with us 💕
I’ve just tasted mine after the 6 week wait and it’s lovely. Thank you for this treasure.
You’re so welcome. I’m glad you liked it!
Hi.
I reconstituted dried berries for the recipe. Any suggestion how to use the strained elderberry water?
Thanks!
I have a question .Can i just pour the dehydrated / dried elderberry into raw honey and let it infuse in a sunny spot which in turn would prob be comparable to heating the dried berries first ? Thank u
Dried elderberries would need to be soaked in water before adding to the raw honey for fermentation to take place, otherwise, you would only be infusing honey with elderberry (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!).
I’m so thankful I found my way to your website. You’ve got some great ideas going on! I’m inspired and excited about what I’m going to experience here.
Thank you so much, Cindy! Enjoy!
My elderberries came on sporadically this year, so I destemmed them and put them in the freezer. Do you think I can use the frozen berries?? I understand that dried would need to be reconstituted but the frozen should be fine, fight?
Yes, I think the frozen berries should work just fine after they thaw. Enjoy!
Is it possible to mix the honey with an elderberry syrup instead? or would that remove all the immune boosting properties due to the cooking?
Because of the water content in the elderberry syrup, you would end up making elderberry mead, which isn’t a bad thing, but not what we’re going for with this recipe.
Hi, I’m just wondering what stops it from turning alcoholic?
You would need a much higher amount of moisture content in the honey for it to turn into alcohol (mead).
How long will this be shelf stable and how do you recommend storing it?
After straining out the berries it can last 6 months or more in a cool, dark cabinet or pantry.
Hi,
I’m wondering if i can prepare the Elderberry honey using the juice only. Because I saw too late your recipe but i really want to try it. Is it going to work do you think? Will i get all the benefits?
Regards from Germany.
Emmy
Hi Emmy. Unfortunately, I don’t think it would work with only the juice. The whole berry is used because they are coated in wild yeast that promotes fermentation.
I made this a couple of years ago and am off to forage more elderberries to make it again! So good. Might add a slice or two of ginger this time around for extra wintery strength.
Ginger sounds like a wonderful addition, Daisy!