Elderberry Sauce for Cold and Flu viruses

Elderberries are a traditional remedy with lots of science behind their antiviral properties. This simple, sugar-free elderberry sauce is also a sophisticated and delicious dessert topping!

I have long known about elderberries’ potent antiviral properties, which is why I planted two edible varieties in my garden to help combat seasonal colds and flu. I harvest berries every year to make a tart and sweet elderberry sauce. It’s delicious as a remedy or served as a posh addition to dessert.

Research into the Antiviral properties of elderberries

There is actually quite a bit of research into the antiviral properties of elderberries. Here are just a few reports for anyone interested in some dry bedtime reading:

• Elderberries have a strong antiviral effect on the H1N1 virus.
• They reduce the duration of viral flu by more than half. This result was also confirmed by this study.
• It seems that elderberry compounds inhibit a virus’s entry and replication within human cells.
• Even small concentrations of elderberry have proven effective against respiratory bacterial strains and flu viruses.

These studies suggest that a clinically effective dose is around 15 ml (1 Tbsp) of elderberry juice. Since my recipe dilutes the tart elderberries with sweeter fruits, I recommend dosing with 2 Tbsp daily at the earliest onset of cold or flu symptoms.

How to safely pick and prepare elderberries

The trick about harvesting elderberries is that the plants are REALLY poisonous. The berries are also DEADLY poisonous if not properly prepared. So if you decide to partake in harvesting, preparing, and eating elderberries, make sure you know what you are doing.

Otherwise, buy freshly harvested fruit at farmer’s markets or dried elderberries online.

Here are a few basic rules for harvesting elderberries:

1. Only the flowers and ripe (black) berries are edible. The twigs, leaves, stems and unripe berries are POISONOUS.
2. Most (not all) varieties of elderberry produce fruit that is edible when cooked. So, I recommend always cooking elderberries before eating them, just to be certain.
3. However, some varieties of elderberry don’t produce edible fruit, and even the berries are poisonous. So proper identification of the species is best. (We trusted the labels at our local garden center).
4. The berries need to be taken off the stems. The internet suggests freezing the berries to get them to fall off the stems, which I have tried several times without success. Instead, I leave the fruit on the tree, and gently the berries. The ripe ones fall off easily.

Antiviral elderberry sauce

Typically, I turn my elderberries into a delicious sauce, which is perfect for serving with ice cream or waffles. However, I always keep a few jars on hand to use as an antiviral treatment.

The basic recipe below is a simple and sugar-free blend of tart elderberries and sweeter fruits.

Elderberries are typically ripe at the end of August and in early September. Here are a few ways to preserve your batch of elderberry sauce for the cold and flu season.

1. Canning: If you want to water bath can jars of elderberry sauce, then you will need to add a 1/4 cup of white sugar to act as a preservative. Heat process 250ml filled jars for 15 minutes.
2. Freezing: I recommend freezing in straight-sided jars because it’s easy and doesn’t require any extra sugar. Jars of fruit sauce will last in the freezer for up to 1 year.
3. Fermentation: For a probiotic and fermented elderberry sauce, add 2 Tbsp of white sugar during the boiling. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature. Stir in 1/4 cup of a yeast-based starter (like brewed kombucha, water kefir, or ginger bug). Allow the sauce to ferment at room temperature for 3 days, then store it in the fridge for up to 1 month. You can also freeze fermented fruit sauce without affecting the probiotic benefits.