Black elderberry syrup

Name: Black elderberry syrup
Ingredients: 1.5 kg elderberries; 3000 ml water for sterilizing the bottles; 1 kg sugar; 1 lemon (zest and juice); 1/8 teaspoon salicyl; 7000 ml water for the bottle bath

Beverages - Black elderberry syrup by Demetra O. - Recipia

Black elderberry syrup starts with berries passed twice through a tomato mill to recover the juice left in the pulp. With sugar and lemon, the juice simmers until it thickens into a dark syrup, then goes into bottles for the pantry. I dilute it in a glass with sparkling water until it’s slightly tart and not too sweet. Prep: 30 minutes. Cooking: 100 minutes. Resting: 2 hours. Total time: 250 minutes. Servings: 5. Approximately 950 kcal and 2 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1.5 kg elderberries
3000 ml water for sterilizing the bottles
1 kg sugar
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1/8 teaspoon salicyl
7000 ml water for the bottle bath

Preparation

1. Remove the berries from the clusters and pick out the black, whole ones. Remove any green berries, then wash the fruit in 2-3 changes of water. Prep time: 30 minutes. 2. Pass the berries through a tomato mill, then pass the pulp through once more to recover the juice left behind. 3. Bring 3000 ml of water to a boil and sterilize the bottles and lids for 10 minutes. Take them out and leave them to drain. 4. Pour the juice into a pot and add the sugar, lemon juice and zest. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for about 45 minutes, until it thickens. 5. Add 1/8 teaspoon of salicyl, then pour the syrup into the sterilized bottles and put on the lids. 6. Wrap the bottles in cloths and place them in a large pot. Pour in 7000 ml of water, then boil them for 45 minutes from the moment the water comes to a boil. 7. Turn off the heat and leave the bottles to cool for about 2 hours, then put them in the pantry. These quantities make 5 bottles of 330 ml each.

Notes

Instead of sparkling water, you can dilute it with cold still water. Once opened, keep the bottle in the fridge and use it within 3 days. Fully black, whole berries are the ones to use; if there are lots of green ones left on the clusters, pick them out before washing. The juice yield depends on how ripe the fruit is, so keep the sugar at the stated amount, whatever the initial volume of berries. The syrup can look thin while hot; its consistency is easier to judge once it has cooled. If you’re serving it with a meal, start a few hours ahead, since the bottles need to cool before you put them in the pantry.

Frequently asked questions

Why pass the pulp through the tomato mill a second time?

The pulp still holds juice, and the second pass recovers it. If the pulp is almost dry afterward, there’s no need to pass it through again.

Can I replace the salicyl?

For a version without salicyl, freeze the syrup in freezer-safe containers of 250 ml, leaving some room at the top. Thaw one container at a time in the fridge.

What should I do if the syrup has crystallized?

Heat it over low heat with 30 ml of water for about 3 minutes, stirring until the crystals dissolve.

Can I use red elderberries?

Not for this syrup. Use fully ripe black elderberries, and remove any green ones before washing.

Can I use frozen elderberries?

Yes. Leave them to thaw in the fridge for 8 hours and keep the liquid that drains off, then pass the berries through the tomato mill too.