Updated 11/30/2023
Elderberry Ginger Cider Recipe
My boon of elderberry enabled me to, in addition to making tons of elderberry syrup, make elderberry ginger cider – a variation of fire cider. For this one, I relied on ginger and honey as a base and kept it simple yet strong. It’s delicious and I’ll use it the way you would fire cider – take a shot during cold and flu season to warm up and keep the creeping crud away.
If you are looking for an Elderberry Syrup recipe, I have one for you! Click HERE!
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Elderberry Ginger Cider Recipe
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh elderberries clean and free of stems
- 2 slivers of fresh peeled ginger about 1 Tsp
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp local honey
Instructions
- Warm elderberries in a medium saucepan for 15-20 minutes over medium-low heat. Let cool.
- Place ingredients in a clean bottle.
- Place top on the bottle, and mix by inverting the bottle several times. Make sure the liquid covers the berries
- Leave in a cool dry place for six weeks, inverting the bottle to mix every 3 or 4 days.
- Remove elderberries from the cider.
Notes
Hello I added my elderberries to apple cider raw and I haven’t added anything else yet and they’re just sitting in jars with apple cider. Should I heat the apple cider and elderberries up now and honey? Do you think it’s still good?
Hi Cari – thanks for the question. I do think you should heat the cider with elderberry. It will be delicious and healthier for you, and yes, a little honey sounds lovely. I can’t tell if your cider is still good because I don’t know how long it’s been hanging around! If more than a week, hmm, proceed with caution – you might have hard cider (or moldy) on your hands.
All the best,
A
I thought you had to always cook the elderberries as the raw ones are toxic.
Thanks Fay, yes you are right – raw elderberries contain glycosides, which can make you sick. I adjusted my recipe to heat the elderberries before making the cider. Heating elderberries breaks down the glycosides, making them safe to eat.
4 cups of elderberries? Is this correct? Is the honey added after straining?
Hi Gina! Yep, afraid so. I have a prolific elderberry tree, so once annually I make big batches of…all of it! Add the honey before you set it up to steep (along with all other ingredients). The sugar is essential to the fermentation that happens, which is a nice health enhancing aspect of the recipe. Enjoy and let me know how it turns out!
What amount of dried elderberries could you use? I don’t have access to fresh elderberries.
Hi Naja – I would use the same amount, and soak them in a little warm water. Report back! Annie