Ingredients for - Fermented Elderberry Syrup
How to cook deliciously - Fermented Elderberry Syrup
1. Stage
Prep the elderberries: If using frozen elderberries, rinse them with cool water and then place them in a fine mesh strainer suspended over a bowl so that they are not sitting in any liquid as they thaw. Place in the refrigerator and let thaw overnight.
2. Stage
Combine the elderberries and sugar: The next day, in a large (2 quart) clean, sterilized jar , alternate layers of sugar and berries, starting with the sugar (this helps ensure an even distribution of the two ingredients). Loosely close the lid (if a screw cap, do not tighten all the way; if a rubber ring style closure, remove the rubber ring and close the lid without securing). Shake the jar to coat the berries in sugar. Place in a cool, dark place like the pantry.
3. Stage
Monitor the progress: On the following day, give the jar a shake to help move more of the sugar around. You may or may not see any juices from the berries emerging today. On days 3 through 5, there should be a substantial amount of liquid being drawn out of the berries. You might start to see fermentation (see note about how to tell if your syrup is fermenting in the headnotes and what to do if it’s not) by day 4.
4. Stage
Let ferment: Once the fermentation has started, you can open the container and gently stir the mixture as some sugar may have settled at the bottom. The mixture should be gently bubbling after a week to a week and a half. Check on the jar every day as it ferments.
5. Stage
Strain: At the two week mark (as long as your mixture has been bubbling for at least a week, if not, wait another week until doing this step), strain the berries from the liquid. My syrup yielded about 1 1/2 cups; your yield may vary.
6. Stage
Bottle and store: Transfer the syrup to an airtight bottle, like a swing top, and store in the refrigerator. Berries can be transferred to an airtight container and also stored in the refrigerator. Both will last at least 3 months, or 1 year if frozen. Did you love the recipe? Let us know with a rating and review!
