Elderberry and Elder Flower Tea Recipes, Lore and Facts

You’re probably familiar with the fact that elderberries contain antioxidants beneficial for boosting immunity and fighting cold and flu symptoms. When it comes to how to make elderberry tea, we’ll cover the options, including where to get it to make your own home brew even if you aren’t growing elderberries.

Elderberry tea is derived from the dried, ripe berries of the elder plant and make also include elderflowers. Elder flower tea has its own beneficial attributes. Add the elder flowers to tea and it’ even better!

Elderberries are one of the most potent berries for immunity. The elderberry comes from the Sambucus tree, a flowering plant that can stay the size of a bush or grow into a tree if allowed to. Most elder plants come from the Sambucus nigra, or the black elder.

Historically, indigenous people used elderberry tea to reduce fevers and treat rheumatism. The tea was used by the ancient Egyptians to treat burns and to help boost their complexions.

Today, elderberry is most often taken in the form of a supplement or syrup, but anyone who enjoys tea might prefer to drink it. Though it’s most well-known for its ability to ward off colds, elderberry tea offers numerous health benefits that most of us can take advantage of.

Benefits of Elderberry Tea

There are numerous benefits to elderberries and elderberry tea, some of which we’ve highlighted briefly above. The good news is that there are numerous health benefits that one can take advantage of by drinking elderberry tea.

From treating and preventing colds to improving skin problems like acne, there are many good things to say about sambucus cana tea. And there’s scientific evidence supporting some of these claims as well.

You can glean more from this article on Health Benefits of Elderberries.

Now that we have discussed the health benefits of elderberry tea, let’s talk about how to make it. But first, a quick warning about potential side effects. Even natural, healthy foods can come with some warnings.

A Warning about Elderberry Tea

It is worth noting that one should never consume raw, unripe elderberries or the plant’s bark, branches or seeds. They contain a toxic substance that breaks down into hydrogen cyanide, which is poisonous. Eating the berries while they’re in their poisonous form can lead to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The good news is that ripe elderberries and their flowers don’t contain the same toxic substance. That being said, consumption of the ripe raw black elderberry berries should be tried carefully in very small quantities only.

The best and safest way to consume elderberries and elderflowers is cooked or in tea. Although elderflowers can be consumed raw, it’s generally recommended to consume them cooked, too, and to dispose of the stems.

Also, be sure to check with a healthcare provider before making elderberry tea to make sure it’s an ideal fit.  With the right precautions first, you can enjoy all the benefits of elderberry tea for yourself.

How to Make Elderberry Tea

Now that we’ve talked about all the things this tea is good for, let’s discuss how you can make it. Where would you be without some great recipes, right? There are actually two different ways to make elderberry tea, and several different recipes you can take from there.

How to Make Elderberry Flowers Tea AKA Elderflowers Tea

One of the two ways to make elderberry tea is by using the elderberry flowers. When we choose to make an elder flower drink, it’s actually known as elderflowers tea.  Technically, this is different from tea made from the berries.

We can make elderflowers tea from the elder plant in our garden. If it’s not currently in season, we can also purchase dried elder flowers, which we can generally purchase at a local health food store. 

The good news is that it is very simple to make elderflower tea.

Making Elderflower Tea

1. GATHER a few bunches of fresh elderflowers.
2. REMOVE any twigs or branches from the flowers. These parts of the plant are poisonous and should never be included in elder flower tea. Many will find it easier to pick the elderflowers off to avoid twigs.
3. CLEAN: Gently blow or shake to rid of the occasional garden bug. We prefer not to rinse them because the pollen is a part of the flavor and the blossoms are basically clean from the sun, so long as not sprayed with pesticides.
4. BOIL WATER in kettle or pot, then remove from heat.
5. ADD: elder flowers to pot of boiled water and stir gently to cover. Or add to mug or teapot and cover with the hot boiled water
6. STEEP for 10 to 15 minutes before drinking or refrigerating for later use or for cold tea.

Ta-da! The elderflower tea is ready to be enjoyed.

Sweeteners for Elderflower Tea

Elderflower tea is known to be light and mildly sweet in flavor. Consider adding locally grown, organic honey to enhance the flavor. Alternately, add homegrown stevia, especially if you’re growing it. Another beneficial sweetener for immunity is manuka honey, which you can read more about in this article on home remedies for cold and flu.

How to Make Elderberry Tea with Elderberries

Preparing elderberry tea is just as easy as making elderflower tea. Remember that elderberries must be dried and ripe prior to cooking to eliminate the risk of cyanide poisoning.

There are numerous recipes out there to choose from, all depending on personal flavor preferences. You can start with a popular recipe and then over time, you may tweak it or make changes to it according to what you like best.

Elderberry Tea Recipes

If you like the things that you’ve just learned about elderberry tea and you’d like to try it for yourself, we’ve found some great recipes to get you started. Making this tea is about as easy as it gets. The simplest recipe only requires two ingredients, but if you want to mix it up or add more flavors, we have some suggestions for that as well.

While all you need for great elderberry tea is berries and water, there are several variations and flavor combinations you can enjoy. These include cinnamon, ginger, orange, lemon, and honey, just to name a few popular ones.

Easy 3-Ingredient Recipe for Elderberry Tea:

1. Add water, elderberries, and a cinnamon stick to a saucepan.
2. Bring the water to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low.
3. Allow the water to simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Let tea cool for about 5 minutes.
5. Strain tea into a mug.

That’s it! Now your elderberry tea is ready to drink. You can add ice to the tea if you like it cold, or you can drink it hot/warm. It’s all a matter of personal tastes, or you might like to mix it up and have it both ways. Now, let’s look at some ways to spice up the flavor.  

Although we will follow the same easy recipe when making elderberry tea, there are a number of things we can do to change its naturally earthy flavor. As with our recipe for elderflower tea, we may add locally grown, organic honey to our elderberry tea.  

Many people also choose to add some healthy spices to our tea. We might choose to add turmeric, ginger, thyme, rosemary, or black pepper to our elderberry tea.

Complementary Herbs, Flowers, and Plants for Elderberry and Elderflower Tea

We like to add dandelion tea to our elderberry, as well as hibiscus flowers, nettle leaves or roasted chicory root to our elderberry tea. But the options are endless. Another great addition to elderberry tea for a powerful immune boost is echinacea tea. Find more natural homegrown remedies here.

How to Make Elderberry Syrup

Another fun option you might try is to make your own elderberry syrup using fresh or dried elderberries.

Ingredients for Elderberry Syrup

• Remove the stalks
• Cook the berries in sugar and water (or alternately, we like to use honey instead of sugar by adding it at the end)
• Strain the water from the berries
• Boil the liquid to reduce it
• When it begins to look like syrup, you’re done!

Find LOTS more here on elderberries (sambucus canadensis), including video on making elderberry syrup and all the many health benefits of elderberry..

Feel free to get creative and create other herb blends, such as blends that include lemon balm and elderberries, as well as best immune boosting herbs. Regardless of how you enjoy your elderberry tea or elderflower tea, there are plenty of health benefits to reap from the teas from the wonderful elderberry plant.

Want more home remedies for cold and flu?