# Homemade Elderberry Syrup vs Store-Bought: A Kitchen Guide > Make elderberry syrup at home from dried berries, ginger, and cinnamon, then see how it compares with a ready-made 4 oz. bottle. Canonical: https://healthstylz.com/herb-guides/homemade-elderberry-syrup-vs-store-bought/ Published: 2026-10-23 by HealthStylz. Product facts checked 2026-10-23 on mountainroseherbs.com. HealthStylz is a Mountain Rose Herbs affiliate. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. ## In short Homemade elderberry syrup is a simple stovetop project. Simmer dried elder berries in water with optional ginger root and Ceylon cinnamon chips for about 40 minutes, mash and strain, let the liquid cool until warm, then stir in honey and keep the jar in the fridge. The berries must always be cooked, since NCCIH warns that raw or unripe elderberries and the plant's leaves and stems contain poisonous substances, and honey should never be fed to a child younger than 1 year old. If you would rather skip the stove, Mountain Rose Herbs sells a ready-made Elder Berry Syrup in a 4 oz. size, listed at $17.00 on Oct 23, 2026, made with honey, organic elder berries, organic alcohol, and distilled water. This HealthStylz guide compares the two on ingredients, time, storage, and price, and covers the syrup purely as a flavor for pancakes, yogurt, sparkling water, and tea. ## Key takeaways - Always cook elderberries, because raw or unripe berries, leaves, and stems can make you sick. - Homemade syrup has no added alcohol, while the bottled Elder Berry Syrup lists organic alcohol and honey. - Neither version is for babies under 1 year old, because both contain honey. ## Why make elderberry syrup at home Elderberry syrup is a dark, jammy kitchen staple. Mountain Rose Herbs notes that "For centuries, elderberries have been used to make preserves, wines, cordials, herbal infusions, and elderberry syrup." At home it is a simple stovetop project: simmer dried berries in water, strain, and sweeten with honey. Or you can buy a ready-made bottle. This guide covers a basic recipe, storage, and how it compares with the Elder Berry Syrup sold by Mountain Rose Herbs. The recipe is our own general kitchen guide, not a Mountain Rose Herbs recipe, and it is written for flavor only. **Safety first.** Always cook elderberries before eating them. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) states: "Raw or unripe elderberries and other parts of the elder tree, such as the leaves and stem, contain poisonous cyanide-producing substances that can cause nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhea; cooking eliminates this toxin." - Mountain Rose Herbs says its elder berries "are raw and require proper processing before consumption." Its precaution reads: "The raw fruit contains a component sambunigrin which may cause vomiting and severe diarrhea if ingested." - The same product page notes: "Although the branches and leaves are poisonous, the small stem which is sometimes left on the berry is safe." Because NCCIH lists stems among the parts to avoid raw, pick out any stems you can see, and never put leaves or branches in the pot. - Honey is not for babies. The CDC says: "Do not feed honey to a child who is younger than 1 year old." This applies to homemade syrup and to the bottle, which Mountain Rose Herbs labels "not for use by children under 1 year old." - The bottled syrup "Contains alcohol and honey," according to its product page. - Talk with your doctor before using elderberry or any herbal product if you are pregnant, nursing, or take any medicine. Mountain Rose Herbs gives the same advice. ## What you need This batch makes about 1 and a half cups. Adjust the spice and sweetness to taste. - 1/2 cup dried elder berries - 2 cups water - 1 teaspoon dried ginger root pieces (optional) - 1 teaspoon sweet (Ceylon) cinnamon chips (optional) - 1/2 cup honey, or to taste - A small saucepan, a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, a spoon, and a clean glass jar with a lid Mountain Rose Herbs sells organic Elder Berries (Sambucus nigra) from Bulgaria, Albania, and Croatia, in sizes from a 4 oz. bag up to bulk, listed at $16.25 on the product page on Oct 23, 2026 (the page does not say which size). It notes that "The dried fruits are less bitter than the fresh." Ginger and cinnamon add warmth. Mountain Rose Herbs describes its dried ginger root as having "a pungent, earthy, and spicy flavor" and says the cut root can be used to make syrups (it showed as out of stock on Oct 23, 2026). Its sweet cinnamon chips, also called Ceylon or "true cinnamon," come from Sri Lanka and have "a mild spice with subtle warming qualities." ## How to make it, step by step - **Sort the berries.** Spread the berries on a plate and pick out any stems. - **Combine.** Add the berries, water, ginger, and cinnamon to the saucepan. - **Simmer.** Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, until the liquid has cooked down by about half. Do not skip or shorten this step, because the berries must be cooked. - **Mash and strain.** Off the heat, mash the berries with a spoon. Pour everything through the strainer into a bowl, pressing out the liquid. Throw away the solids. - **Cool, then sweeten.** Let the liquid cool until warm but not hot, then stir in the honey until it dissolves. - **Bottle.** Pour the syrup into a clean glass jar, close the lid, and label it with the date. The project takes about an hour, mostly hands-off simmering. The result should be a deep purple syrup with a tart berry taste and a little bite from the ginger. ## How to store homemade syrup Homemade syrup has no added preservatives, so handle it like fresh juice. - Keep the closed jar in the refrigerator. - Use a clean spoon each time, and make small batches you will use up soon. - To keep it longer, freeze it in an ice cube tray, then store the cubes in a freezer bag. - Throw it out if you see mold, notice fizzing, or it smells sour or off. This guide does not give a set number of days. The CDC's food safety advice sums it up: "If in doubt, throw it out!" This recipe is meant for the fridge, not for canning. ## Homemade or the bottle: how they compare The Mountain Rose Herbs Elder Berry Syrup comes in a 4 oz. size, the only size shown, and was listed at $17.00 on the product page on Oct 23, 2026. Its listed ingredients are "Honey, organic elder berries, organic alcohol, and distilled water." Mountain Rose Herbs ships only to the United States and Canada. Homemade batch vs the 4 oz. bottle | | What to compare | Homemade batch (this guide) | Bottled Elder Berry Syrup | | | Ingredients | Dried elder berries, water, honey, optional ginger root and cinnamon chips | Honey, organic elder berries, organic alcohol, and distilled water | | | Prep time | About an hour, mostly simmering | None, ready to pour | | | Alcohol | None added | Yes, "Contains alcohol and honey" | | | Honey | Yes, so not for babies under 1 year old | Yes, labeled not for children under 1 year old | | | How it keeps | Refrigerate, make small batches, throw out if it looks or smells off | The captured page does not state storage or shelf life, so follow the bottle's label | | | Price note | Depends on what you buy; elder berries listed at $16.25, ginger root at $13.75, cinnamon chips at $15.50, sizes not specified | Listed at $17.00 for the 4 oz. size on Oct 23, 2026 | Homemade suits people who enjoy a stovetop project, want to pick their own spices, or prefer no added alcohol. The bottle suits people who want something ready on the shelf, with no straining or cleanup. See [our elderberry syrup breakdown](/review/mountain-rose-herbs-elderberry-syrup-review.html) for a closer look at the bottle, or [our Mountain Rose Herbs review](/review/mountain-rose-herbs-review.html) for the brand. ## Ways to use it in the kitchen - **Pancakes and waffles:** drizzle a little over a warm stack. - **Sparkling water:** stir a little into chilled sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon. - **Yogurt:** swirl it through plain yogurt, or spoon it over oatmeal. - **Tea:** sweeten a cup of hot tea. Mountain Rose Herbs says its bottled syrup can be mixed into hot tea too. Both versions contain honey, so keep these foods away from babies under 1 year old. The bottled syrup also contains alcohol. ## Questions people ask **Can I eat dried elderberries straight from the bag?** No. Mountain Rose Herbs says its elder berries are raw and require proper processing before you eat them, and NCCIH says raw or unripe elderberries can cause nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhea. NCCIH also says cooking eliminates this toxin, which is why the simmer step matters. **Can I give elderberry syrup to my baby?** Not to a baby under 1 year old if the syrup contains honey, and both this recipe and the bottled syrup do. The CDC says not to feed honey to a child younger than 1 year old. For a child of any age, ask your pediatrician before giving an herbal product. **Does the bottled syrup contain alcohol?** Yes. Mountain Rose Herbs lists its ingredients as honey, organic elder berries, organic alcohol, and distilled water, and the label says it contains alcohol and honey. The homemade recipe in this guide has no added alcohol. **How long does homemade elderberry syrup keep?** This guide does not give a set number of days. Keep it in a closed jar in the refrigerator, make small batches, freeze extra in ice cube trays, and throw it out if you see mold, notice fizzing, or smell anything off. **How much should I take?** This is a cooking guide, so it does not give a dose, and the captured product page text for the bottled syrup does not list a serving size. Use the syrup as a flavor, the way you would any fruit syrup. If you are thinking of using any herbal product for another reason, talk with your doctor first. ## Sources - [Mountain Rose Herbs: Elder Berries Organic](https://mountainroseherbs.com/elder-berries) - [Mountain Rose Herbs: Elder Berry Syrup Organic](https://mountainroseherbs.com/elder-berry-syrup) - [Mountain Rose Herbs: Ginger Root Organic](https://mountainroseherbs.com/ginger-root) - [Mountain Rose Herbs: Cinnamon, Sweet Chips Organic](https://mountainroseherbs.com/sweet-cinnamon-chips) - [Mountain Rose Herbs: FAQ (shipping to the US and Canada)](https://mountainroseherbs.com/policies/faq/) - [NCCIH: Elderberry](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/elderberry) - [CDC: Botulism, honey and infants](https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/prevention/index.html) These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.