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Juice and Drinks

Juice and Drinks

Elderberry Juice

Published: Aug 28, 2019 · Modified: Apr 9, 2020 · About 4 minutes to read this article. · By Kim Nielsen

Simple and easy recipe for delicious homemade Elderberry juice. This recipe is a traditional Nordic recipe and have been used for many, many years. Go and enjoy some time in the forest, pick some elderberries and make some delicious juice.
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Recipe for Homemade Elderberry Juice

Recipe for homemade Elderberry Juice

Pick Your Own Elderberries and make juice

In the months of September to October the nature in Denmark is packed with many delicious fruits and berries, like apples, pears, elderberries, blueberries, raspberries and so on. This is not just Denmark, in the most of the world these kinds of fruits are picked at this time a year. We always take advantages of this great opportunity to make some delicious food from all these fresh ingredients.

See also: How to make delicious Elderflower Juice

We personally think it is a lot of fun to pick our own berries, and then we also have the opportunity to get the best quality ones. Picking your own fruit and berries is also something the kids tend to find funny. Therefore, it is a great opportunity for parents to teach kids about the forest, and the nature in general, and then later teach how to cook delicious food by ingredients found in it. That is a nice way to spend your Saturday!

See more: Recipe for homemade Rhubarb Juice

If you don't have the opportunities to pick these fruits in the nature by yourself it is possible to buy already picked berries from your local farmers’ market/greengrocers. The great thing about the wild berries is that they are normally not sprayed with any pesticides or other bad stuff. When that said, always pick those berries that aren't close to busy road or other polluting things. Remember to wash and clean the berries thoroughly.

Healthy Elderberry Juice

This recipe for elderberry juice is easy to make and it has a super delicious taste. The concentrated juice can be mixed with cold water in the ratio 1/3 and a couple of ice cubes. However, the juice can also be drink hot maybe with some rum - some people say that should keep the cold away. In general the elderberries are said to be very healthy and that they contain many good vitamins, and that is just a bonus to the great taste. You can serve this cold drink together with a piece of this delicious chocolate cake or some homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Recipe for Homemade Elderberry Juice

Elderberry Juice

Simple and easy recipe for delicious homemade Elderberry juice. This recipe is a traditional Nordic recipe and have been used for many, many years. Go and enjoy some time in the forest, pick some elderberries and make some delicious juice.
Print Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Juice
Cuisine: Danish
Keyword: Elderberry
Servings: 2 litre
Author: NordicFoodLiving.com

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary
  • 2.5 kg elderberries (remove the largest twigs)
  • 12 apples
  • 1 liter water
  • 800 g sugar

Instructions

  • Wash and clean the elderberries thoroughly. Cut off and remove most of the branches and twigs. You can leave on the smallest ones.
  • Wash the apples and remove the core. Slice them.
  • Put the elderberries and the apples in a large saucepan and add all the water. Let it boil for about 30 minutes or until all the juice is extracted from the berries.
  • Put a clean tea towel or similar inside a strainer. Place the strainer on top of another large saucepan or bowl. Pour the elderberry juice in the strainer and use a spoon to press the berries so that you get all the juice out of them. Let it sit until all the juice is passed through the tea towel and strainer.
  • At medium heat, heat up the concentrated juice in a saucepan and add the sugar. Continue heating and stirring until all the sugar is dissolved.
  • Clean some bottles in very hot water (preferred boiling water), and let them cool off. Pour the concentrated elderberry juice on to the bottles and close/seal them right after. This step is important if you want to make the juice last longer.
  • Keep the juice refrigerated. You should be able to store it for quite some time. I believe when you have opened a bottle it will last for a couple of weeks.


Recipe for homemade Elderberry Juice

Recipe for homemade Elderberry Juice

Recipe for homemade Elderberry Juice

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Glenda kreidler

    August 24, 2017 at 10:46 am

    The bottles should be heated in the oven @90degrees. If you pour the hot juice into cool bottles they will burst. The bottles should also stand on a damp cloth when filling and should stay there until cool!

    Reply
    • Dieter Spillner

      April 06, 2021 at 1:17 am

      5 stars
      What can you do to make the juice last for six month or even a year?

      Reply
      • Drokthwart

        June 22, 2021 at 2:51 pm

        3 stars
        Use Camden tablets, same as in making country wine (look it up.). Sterilize bottles first.

        Reply
      • Alva Goossen

        August 17, 2021 at 8:32 pm

        If you extract the juice with a steamer, the juice is pasteurized and will last through the winter months.

        Reply
  2. Myra Belasco

    September 16, 2017 at 11:54 pm

    Rather than can the juice, is there any reason I can't freeze it?

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      September 30, 2017 at 8:08 am

      Hi. I would not recommend to freeze it. However, you could always give it a try :-)

      Reply
    • Alice

      September 05, 2018 at 9:22 pm

      Of course you can freeze it.

      Reply
    • patricia Larkin

      September 26, 2019 at 4:42 pm

      I FREEZE PURE JUICE IN ICECUBES TRAYS AND STORE IN PLASTIC BAGS. WORKS GREAT.

      Reply
    • Maria Moesby

      August 01, 2021 at 8:45 pm

      Of course you can freeze it! We used to always freeze it in plastic bottles - then only thaw what we would drink within a week or two

      Reply
    • Kirsten

      August 17, 2021 at 6:50 pm

      My 85 year old danish mom freezes her elderberry juice all the time and I do too, it’s a great way to preserve it

      Reply
  3. E

    September 24, 2018 at 10:19 pm

    Is there a reason you discard the mashed boiled elderberry fruit instead of leaving it in the concoction? Especially if you've boiled it thoroughly? Perhaps it is more immunogenic even if Lumpy. I don't care if the concoction is lumpier if it would be better for me and my family . I am not the only one with this question because I've seen it asked on many websites and have not seen this question answered.

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      September 26, 2018 at 7:14 am

      Hi. That is a good question! The only reason why I discard the mashed elderberry is to have a clean juice. I can't see the problem in keeping this pulp in the juice. After all, it should only give more flavor to the juice.

      Reply
      • Jamie Griffin

        January 19, 2020 at 6:38 pm

        Elderberries are known to contain cyanide that can make you nauseous, vomit, and have diarrhea. For that reason, it is suggested you dont eat the berries or the part you mushed up making juice or syrup. The seeds are what contain the cyanide. I would advise against using or eating the berries or anything with the seeds.

        Reply
        • Suze

          August 28, 2020 at 10:56 am

          Jamie once the seeds are boiled the cyanide is oxidated therefore harmless.

          Reply
        • Helen K Walford

          October 01, 2020 at 6:39 pm

          After the berries are cooked the cyanide is gone and no longer dangerous.

          Reply
          • Danielle

            May 30, 2021 at 7:38 pm

            Jamie, So long as the berries are either cooked or dried you can certainly ingest them in any form. They make delicious jam, pie, chutney, juice, syrup, muffins, tarts, smoothies.... the possibilities are endless.

        • Deanna

          November 28, 2020 at 12:03 am

          Cyanogenic Glycosides are notnpresent in all elders, Sambucus Nigra ssp Canadensis for example. Patrick Byers at University Missouri has produced a study that demonstrates this. Secondly, as previous studies have noted, the doses given to rats was incredibly unrealistic for human consumption. The lectins are far more likely to give you an upset stomach and diarrhea before you could consume enough Cyanogenic Glycosides.

          Reply
        • Danielle

          May 30, 2021 at 11:43 am

          So long as the berries are either cooked or dried you can certainly ingest them in any form. They make delicious jam, pie, chutney, juice, syrup, muffins, tarts, smoothies.... the possibilities are endless.

          Reply
        • Carien

          November 09, 2021 at 11:29 am

          So what about an elderberry pie? Those are whole berries.

          Reply
    • Carrol

      October 03, 2018 at 6:17 pm

      Makes a great elderberry pie! Leave a little juice and basically make cobbler or pie following a recipe

      Reply
    • marcia powell

      July 28, 2019 at 10:44 pm

      I have read the the elderberry seeds are poisonous.

      Reply
      • Eddi

        August 22, 2019 at 5:00 pm

        You can boil them, add sugar

        Reply
      • Jamie Griffin

        January 19, 2020 at 6:39 pm

        They are

        Reply
    • Kathleen P Storrer

      January 29, 2021 at 3:04 pm

      The mash is seedy. Possibly drying.. seeds are small. Always have tossed them, because Mom did. Put. I would Check to make sure the seeds are etible, online search.

      Reply
    • Barb Cadwell

      April 10, 2022 at 7:28 pm

      4 stars
      You can put the leftover pulp in a dehydrator, then use in for tea!

      Reply
  4. AA Porter

    October 04, 2018 at 7:04 pm

    I purchased elderberry concentrate, can and how do I make juice?

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      October 05, 2018 at 10:24 am

      I'm not sure about the concentration. But I would just use the concentrate instead of the 2,5 kg berries.

      Reply
  5. Jacqueline

    October 17, 2018 at 7:11 pm

    Hi, Kim! I am not sure you will see this comment and my question, but I will post it and see :D
    I am jacqueline and write Deeprootsathome.com and in the process of doing another elderberry post for this winter.
    I would like to ask permission to use 2 photos from your elderberry juice post. I am thinking about the second from the top and the bottom, split photo, and I I will give you photo credit on both. Beautiful photography!
    If it is good with you, please let me know by email. And thank you for your time and consideration!
    Blessings,
    Jacqueline

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      October 20, 2018 at 6:07 am

      Hi Jacqueline. You are welcome to use the two photos if you remember to make a link back to my blog :-)

      Reply
  6. Home Plix

    September 04, 2019 at 11:55 am

    5 stars
    Wow! amazing elderberry juice recipe. I really love this recipe. Thanks for sharing such an awesome post.

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      September 05, 2019 at 10:32 am

      Thanks for your nice comment. I am really happy that you like the post and the recipe. :-)

      Reply
  7. Flo Vigil

    September 12, 2019 at 11:51 pm

    5 stars
    In reply to the person who think the berries are poisonous: If that were true generations of my family and I would all be dead .

    Reply
    • Jamie Griffin

      January 19, 2020 at 6:42 pm

      The seeds contain cyanide. If they are cooked, they are safe to eat. But It is advised you avoid eating the seeds as that is where the cyanide is contained. That is why it is commonly made into juice and syrup instead of just eating a bunch of the berries.

      Reply
  8. cherie

    October 06, 2019 at 5:48 am

    I just picked my mother's elder berry Bush. it was a beautiful harvest! I just cut the clusters of berries and did not pull the berries off of the stem structure. I just streamed them stems and all. the juice is very bitter. is it because I steamed the stems? will I have to throw it all out now!?

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      October 06, 2019 at 8:47 am

      If you only streamed the berries I can imagine that they did not had enough time to extract the juice. Next time I can recommend to cook the berries with water and sugar for about 30 minutes.

      Reply
  9. Geri

    October 19, 2019 at 8:57 pm

    What is the purpose of adding apples?

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      October 21, 2019 at 7:38 pm

      This is only to give the juice some extra taste.

      Reply
  10. Jamie Griffin

    January 19, 2020 at 6:49 pm

    For those wondering g about if elderberry is poisonous.
    Is Elderberry Syrup Safe?
    Usually. However, many homemade formulas can actually worsen an illness by causing additional symptoms such as nausea or vomiting. The elderberry plant can contain a cyanogenic glycoside sambunigrin which must be deactivated by heat prior to ingesting medicinally to avoid adverse effects. (A cyanogenic glycoside contains a cyanide group attached to a sugar. When digested, it is released, and can harm the body.)

    The berries also contain an alkaloid, sambucine, which causes nausea and vomiting. So why do we ingest elderberries? Because these components are easily deactivated through heat, which enables us to produce a finished product that does not contain any of the dangerous types of alkaloids or glycosides.

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      January 22, 2020 at 8:20 am

      Thanks for your good explanation about the safety of the elderberries. In this recipe we also heat up the juice for 30 minutes and discard the berry and only keep the juice. I've personally made this recipe many times and served it for friends and family with great success. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)

      Reply
      • Mahfud Rasmussen

        February 18, 2020 at 3:26 pm

        Hi Kim. You forgot to add to your answer to Jamie Griffin :
        "And they are still alive" (as well as the majority of scandinavians).
        He should have from the begining writen: NEVER eat RAW elderberries.
        Velbekomme.

        Reply
  11. Lori

    January 28, 2020 at 8:11 pm

    5 stars
    This is a great recipe that has a wonderful taste. Thank you for posting it.

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      January 29, 2020 at 6:38 am

      You are welcome - I'm glad that you like the recipe. Regards Kim from NordicFoodLiving.com

      Reply
  12. Gabriele West

    July 21, 2020 at 12:45 am

    l like to make the juice but what kind of apples do I use.

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      July 21, 2020 at 5:08 am

      The type of apples is not that important when making Elderberry juice. You can just use what you have in your garden or your favorite from the supermarket. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)

      Reply
      • Gabriele west

        July 21, 2020 at 9:21 pm

        Thanks for answering me, I will be making the juice soon. I just need to get enough elderberries before the birds get them. I never made juice before let you know how it turned out.

        Reply
        • Kim Nielsen

          July 22, 2020 at 7:30 am

          You are welcome - I hope that you like the juice :-) Regards Kim

          Reply
  13. Steve Coles

    September 08, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    Hi
    Steve from Yorkshire England. I'm just about to make the recepie, can't wait. I wonder if anyone has included Cinomon for a bit of a twist.
    Thank you and take care, especially in these times 😀

    Reply
  14. Frances Lunardi

    October 13, 2020 at 5:51 pm

    4 stars
    I just made it.
    I put in extra lemon cinnamon ginger cloves a nd star anise to give it more taste otherwise it simply tastes sweet, not in an unpleasant way and I imagine it would be lovely warmed when suffering cough sore throat cold flu etc
    The health benefits seem amazing...wow

    Reply
  15. Jemima

    October 16, 2020 at 6:03 pm

    I have just made this recipe and it is delicious. I plan to use the juice in hot toddy with rum for a bit of hygge this winter! Also with gin and tonic.

    Reply
  16. Jemima

    October 16, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    5 stars
    I forgot to add the rating.

    Reply
  17. Katrina

    October 21, 2020 at 10:28 pm

    Can’t wait to try it. What is the recommended amount to consume daily? Is this a consider concentrate or can you drink it as is? If it is concentrate what and how much to dilute it with?

    Reply
  18. Lyzz

    November 04, 2020 at 2:27 pm

    Hi, I only have dried elderberries and hoping to try your recipe. How much or many elderberry would I use to try your recipe? Thank you in advance for you time. :)

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      November 04, 2020 at 4:32 pm

      Hi - I have never tried with dried elderberries. However, I would just use the same amount as with fresh berries. In this recipe I use 2.5 kg (6 lb) berries. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)

      Reply
  19. robert e kirschner

    August 12, 2021 at 2:15 am

    Wondering if you think it is OK to first freeze high quality elderberries until end of season and then proceed with your recipe? Thanks for your onsiderations

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      August 12, 2021 at 5:28 am

      Yes you can freeze the berries and continue later in the season.

      Reply
  20. Maria van Werkhooven

    August 23, 2021 at 8:13 pm

    This recipe creates a concentrated elderberry juice. How would you dilute this to drink? Do you dilute with water? Or is the intent to drink the concentrated juice?
    Haven't made it yet - still waiting for my elderberry bushes to grow:)

    Reply
    • Kim Nielsen

      August 24, 2021 at 6:05 am

      Hi you dilute the concentrate with water. Then you get a tasteful drink. Just dilute it according to taste. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)

      Reply

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