Most people cook their elderberries into syrup. Cooking is genuinely valuable, but heat destroys many of the beneficial compounds — a lacto-fermented version keeps them intact.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen elderberries (about 280g)
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pinch of sea salt
Method
- Combine berries, honey, and lemon juice. Pack tightly into a jar.
- Add salt. Cover loosely.
- Ferment 3 to 5 days at room temperature, pressing berries down daily so they stay submerged.
A jar of elderberry syrup at the health food store runs ten to eighteen dollars — this fermented version costs the price of the berries.
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