• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Healthy Christian Home

Real Food & Faith for Families

  • Real Food Recipes
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup & Salad
    • Condiments & Sauces
    • Baked Goods & Desserts
    • Snacks
  • Healthy Living
    • Nutrition + Remedies
    • Skincare + Beauty
    • Homemaking
  • Healthy Spirit
    • Faith
    • Motherhood & Marriage
  • About
    • Contact
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Privacy Policy
  • ❤️ Things I Love ❤️

Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup (immune boosting + FAST!)

September 9, 2019 by Mary 20 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links, which help keep this content free.
1191 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

This easy Instant Pot elderberry syrup is much faster to make than the stovetop version, but with all the immune-boosting benefits!

This time of year I’m likely to get bit with the elderberry bug… as in, the urge to make ALL THE ELDERBERRY THINGS!

I’ve already posted traditional elderberry syrup and thick, no-spill elderberry syrup on the blog. But in my opinion, you can never have enough elderberry recipes.

So I’ve decided to create a series of elderberry goodies for you all – one per week for the month of September! Won’t this be fun? Be sure to check back every week for each new recipe.

More in this series:

  • Easy Elderberry Gummies
  • Elderberry Tea
  • Apple Cinnamon Elderberry Syrup

(For the full run-down on why elderberry syrup is so good for you, read my post on traditional elderberry syrup.)

First up, I had to play around with my new Instant Pot (by the way, how did I live without this appliance my entire life as a cook?).

Why Make Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup?

I quickly realized, I enjoy making elderberry syrup in the Instant Pot even better than the traditional stovetop version! Here’s why:

It’s faster.

This Instant Pot elderberry syrup only needs SEVEN minutes of cook time!

However, the syrup takes a few extra minutes for pressure building and release. Plus a little time to cool and add honey. So altogether, making elderberry syrup in the Instant Pot takes around 20 minutes start to finish, as opposed to 45 minutes with the stovetop version.

It’s easier.

With stovetop syrup, you have to stir it every so often and check frequently to ensure it doesn’t boil over. With the Instant Pot, just set it and forget it!

Of course, stovetop elderberry syrup is a great option if you don’t have an IP, or you feel like having a lazy fall day with pots simmering on the stove. But I’m always game for a good shortcut.

Ingredients to Add to Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup

For my original stovetop version, we kept things super simple and only used 3 ingredients: dried elderberries (I like this kind), water, and raw honey.

This time, I’m making it a bit fancier by adding in some additional health-boosting ingredients. Just throw all of it into your trusty IP, and you’re good to go!

Today I’m adding:

  • Lemon – extra boost of vitamin C for this syrup
  • Orange – another source of vitamin C, good for the immune system
  • Cinnamon – great for inflammation and it tastes so good!
  • Cloves – rich in antioxidants with antibacterial properties
  • Ginger – has antiviral properties and is wonderful for upset stomach

Get creative and add your own health boosting ingredients! Other optional add-ins are:

  • Herbs like thyme, oregano, or mint (here’s a list of the best herbs for cold season)
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Other fruits (cranberry, apple, etc.)

How to Make Elderberry Syrup in the Instant Pot

Making elderberry syrup in the Instant Pot is basically the same method as stovetop, only there’s no standing over a hot stove!

A look inside the Instant Pot with all the elderberry syrup ingredients mixed together.

Just measure your ingredients, dump them into your Instant Pot insert, and give it a quick stir.

Close the lid, set the valve to the “seal” position, and set the IP to cook on Manual high pressure for 7 minutes.

Once it’s finished, carefully do a quick release of pressure and open the lid once the pin drops down.

Note: I’ve recently heard mention of the fact that elderberries may contain small amounts of cyanide properties which need evaporation for removal. Because of this, allow your syrup to cook with the lid off for 5 minutes on Saute mode after cooking, to eliminate any potentially harmful substances.

Using a large strainer or collander, strain the elderberry mixture over a large bowl and mash to get all the liquid out. Allow to cool until the liquid is warm, not hot, before adding honey. (Don’t add raw honey to super hot liquid, because it will kill all the beneficial enzymes.)

Instant Pot elderberry syrup in a small mason jar.

Stir the honey and elderberry liquid thoroughly with a whisk. Your elderberry syrup is done! Transfer to small jars for storage.

Elderberry syrup stays fresh in the fridge for up to two months, and a year in the freezer.

Print

Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup

This easy Instant Pot elderberry syrup is much faster to make than the stovetop version, but with all the immune-boosting benefits! Filled with lots of elderberry goodness plus citrus, ginger and health-enhancing spices.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Author Mary

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried elderberries
  • 1 lemon juiced with rind
  • 1 orange juiced with rind
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tbsp. whole cloves
  • 1 2-inch section of fresh ginger peeled & sliced
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 cup raw honey

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients except honey to the Instant pot insert and stir well.

  2. Close the lid and set the valve to the "seal" position. Set cook time to MANUAL, High Pressure, for 7 minutes.

  3. When cook time is finished and timer goes off, set the valve to "vent" and do a quick release of pressure. When the pin drops down, carefully open the lid.

  4. Select Cancel, then select Saute. Stir and allow to simmer for 5 minutes to evaporate any potentially harmful properties in the syrup.

  5. Strain mixture through a large mesh strainer or collander over a large bowl. Mash the elderberry ingredients well to get as much liquid out as possible. Allow to cool for several minutes until liquid is warm, not hot.

  6. Add raw honey and stir well with a wire whisk to dissolve. Adjust the amount of honey to your preferred level of sweetness.

  7. Transfer to jars for storage. Keeps up to 2 months in the refrigerator, up to a year in the freezer.

Recipe Notes

Lemon, orange, ginger, and spices are optional in this recipe.

Kids Dosage: For general immune support, take 1 teaspoon daily. For illness, take 1 teaspoon every few hours during the day.

Adult Dosage: For general immune support, take 1 tablespoon daily. For illness, take 1 tablespoon every few hours during the day.

5-Day Traditional Real Food Meal Plan

Think eating healthy meals with nourishing ingredients 3 times a day is hard? Think again! 

This meal plan has 5 breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and even a couple of desserts and snacks — ALL made with real food ingredients prepared the traditional gut-friendly way. Jump start your family’s health today!

By requesting this free download, you’ll be added to our email newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime, no hard feelings.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Check your e-mail in a few minutes to download your meal plan!

Will you make this Instant Pot elderberry syrup, or do you prefer the classic stovetop kind?

PIN IT!

1191 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Condiments & Sauces, Healthy Living, Nutrition + Remedies, Real Food Recipes

About Mary

Mary is a minister's wife, mom of two boys, and former missionary to Scotland. She’s also the creator of Healthy Christian Home, where she points to God's spiritual and physical nourishment through the natural world He has created. In her free time, you can find her with a cup of hot tea and a stack of books -- or watching a new BBC series.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mandy says

    September 9, 2019 at 8:19 pm

    I am SO glad you posted this. I let the fall season slip up on me without stocking up. I have my elderberries on the way so that I can make this later this week and get our immune systems ready for winter. We need it!

    Reply
    • Mary says

      September 9, 2019 at 10:56 pm

      Mandy that is awesome!! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  2. Linda says

    September 9, 2019 at 8:47 pm

    I’m on a KETO diet and can’t eat Honey at this stage. If I made this recipe for Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup…could I substitute the honey for Lankanto Maple Syrup? It is sweetened with Monkfruit (no sugar).

    In the meantime, I have purchased a bottle of Elderberry Concentrate. It is made with Elderberry Concentrate and water and must be refrigerated after opened. If I could make this with the berries we got, that would be great! Any help from you would be appreciated.

    Looking forward to your reply.
    Thanks. Linda

    Reply
    • Mary says

      September 9, 2019 at 10:58 pm

      You should be able to sub the Lankanto with no issues. You could even leave out sweetner altogether- it would be more bitter but still have great immune boosting properties. I’m posting an Apple cinnamon version of this syrup in a couple weeks – not sure if Apple is allowed with keto, but that recipe requires less sweetner. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  3. Julie says

    September 19, 2019 at 6:52 am

    How much does this make? And about how many cups of dried elderberries are in that 1 lb. bag? Just curious as to how long a $25 bag of elderberries is going to last?

    Reply
    • Mary says

      September 19, 2019 at 7:35 am

      This recipe makes around 6-7 cups of syrup. I’m not a math person, but I’d say each bag makes a few batches at least.

      Reply
  4. Heidi says

    September 19, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    If I’m using fresh wild berries should I cut down on the amount of water?

    Reply
    • Mary says

      September 19, 2019 at 4:10 pm

      I think I’d keep the same amount of water. You might be able to cut down on it slightly, but I don’t know if that would make the syrup more concentrated than usual. Also the IP needs a little extra liquid for pressure building. Let me know how it goes – I’ve never used fresh! Do you grow your own berries?

      Reply
    • Carol Little R.H. @studiobotanica says

      September 20, 2019 at 8:40 am

      Heidi.. I always use fresh or frozen wild berries, not dried in my annual ‘elderberry syrup’ tradition. Normally, my experience has been a ratio of 2:1.. example:
      1 cup ‘fresh elderberries’ or 1/2 cup dried elderberries in a basic recipe. I just started using my IP for this project last year and love it! I need to remember to take pictures next week and share. I just keep the same amount of water and change the amount of berries and it works great. I tend to add more herbal boosters at the end, too, which changes the shelf life.
      Mary– thanks for sharing — I am a big fan of Elder medicine!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        September 20, 2019 at 10:55 am

        Carol, thanks so much for sharing your wealth of information on this topic! So good to know that using fresh berries requires a higher amount. Makes sense that the dried are more concentrated. Thanks again!

        Reply
  5. erin brady says

    January 9, 2020 at 9:22 pm

    Great recipe! How much do you take at a time and do you take it daily (esp. in the winter?) I am 8 month pregnant and everyone around me is getting all different kinds of sicknesses and I need to remain healthy! I am hoping this will do the trick 🙂 Thank you!

    Reply
    • Mary says

      January 9, 2020 at 10:31 pm

      I take around a tablespoon a day (most days) in the winter months. I hope it helps you! Thanks and best wishes on the new baby!

      Reply
  6. Amy says

    January 17, 2020 at 2:43 am

    Love your elderberry recipes. Hoping to make this with monk fruit instead of honey for diabetics. Also working on ACV gummies. Do you have a recipe for that? Do any of your readers know where to get monk fruit without erythritol? Might try coconut sugar as well since it is low glycemic and cooks and bakes well.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 17, 2020 at 2:45 am

      Meant to say where can I get monk fruit WITHOUT erythritol. Can you edit my first comment?

      Reply
    • Mary says

      January 17, 2020 at 7:42 am

      Thanks for the review Amy! I don’t have an ACV gummy recipe yet but that mug be a good one for the future! You might be able to find the monk fruit you are looking for on Amazon. Let me know how it goes and enjoy!

      Reply
  7. Monique Wilson says

    August 8, 2020 at 11:26 am

    How would you add cranberries – fresh or frozen? same cook time with the rest of the ingredients?

    Reply
    • Mary says

      August 8, 2020 at 12:15 pm

      I think you could do either and just cook with the rest of the ingredients. Good luck

      Reply
  8. Amy says

    October 26, 2021 at 3:47 pm

    Thank you for sharing this recipe! It is SO important for people to be empowered about their health! Just made my fist batch in the IP. So easy! Smells amazing and it tastes yummy. I added what I had on hand – lemon juice and its rind, cinnamon sticks and ginger.

    Reply
  9. Anita Bishop says

    October 30, 2021 at 8:43 am

    Thank You for this insta pot recipe! I have Elderberries in the Freezer waiting to have time to sit and watch and stir them while they are cooking down, I do love my Insta-pot too!!! Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Mary says

      October 30, 2021 at 12:48 pm

      You are very welcome! Enjoy!!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Christ-follower, Wife, Mama, Health Enthusiast, & Real Food Lover. Let’s learn how to take care of ourselves body & spirit! Meet Mary…

Looking for Something?

Before Footer

Faith-based & whimsical T-shirts from my Etsy shop!

Faith-based & whimsical T-shirts from my Etsy shop!

Footer

Looking for something?

By accessing or using this website, you agree to abide by you agree to abide by the disclosure policy and privacy policy. Content may not be reproduced in any form.

Displayed ads are managed by Mediavine and do not constitute recommendation or endorsement by Healthy Christian Home.

Copyright © 2015-2019 Healthy Christian Home © .

  • Real Food Recipes
  • Healthy Living
  • Healthy Spirit
  • About
  • ❤️ Things I Love ❤️

Copyright © 2023 · Wellness Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in