Two ways to make organic elderberry tea: use the syrup or use the scraps from making the syrup to stretch the elderberry syrup kit making costs. This post will share the recipe and how-to for making organic elderberry tea from the elderberry syrup-making scraps. Use the elderberry syrup kit making contents once more before composting them!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Why elderberry?
Elderberry has been used for thousands of years in medicinal and culinary ways. Please take a second to gander at my Disclosure Statement as this is not medical advice.
From the flowers to the leaves to the berries, elderberry holds a host of beneficial properties. Please be sure to do your own research into the proper handling and preparing of elderberry plant and parts.
Elderberry contains a lot of flavonoids which are beneficial to our bodies.
Flavonoids are plant chemicals that create the beautiful colors fruits, vegetables, and flowers have and they also boast wonderful health benefits.
Though flavonoids are not absorbed into the body like the protein and carbohydrate nutrients, the gut bacteria do break flavonoids down so our body can use them to provide such benefits as:
- antioxidant
- anti-inflammatory
- anti-carcinogenic
- heart health
- brain health
In short, why aren’t we all consuming more elderberry in our daily lives?
Where can I get Elderberry Syrup Kits?
A quick internet search can yield you someone making and selling elderberry syrup or even kits to make your own syrup. I choose the latter option from Mountain Creek Grocery.
I typically buy 2 kits at a time so there is always a jar of elderberry syrup in the fridge.
Mountain Creek Grocery elderberry kits contain ingredients I can trust. Organic elderberries, organic ceylon cinnamon (look this up too! Not all cinnamon is created equal.), paired with local raw honey.
Don’t waste your elderberry kit by using a store bought teddy bear of honey. Get the real good stuff and find a local apiary in your area or a friend with bees!
Making Elderberry Syrup
Making elderberry syrup is simple to make with the very clear instructions provided with MCG kits.
I recently was left thinking “what can I do with these elderberry leftovers before I compost them?” after steeping the elderberry kit to make the tea before adding honey to create elderberry syrup.
Tea. To drink.
I like tea. It’s winter here for a few more weeks. Perhaps a nice mug of elderberry tea FROM the elderberry tea scraps will be good.
And it has been!
How to make elderberry tea… another way
Essentially, to make elderberry syrup, you need a kit or the prepared ingredients to make a big batch of tea first.
Then you add the suggested amount of honey, bottle, and fridge store the elderberry syrup for daily immune boosting shots or as needed during a sick spell.
But so much of the smuched berries and ceylon cinnamon are left over, I figured it’s probably got a little more life to give in another tea another time.
Can you freeze leftovers from elderberry syrup making?
Yes, friend!
Take your smushed and strained berries and put them in a freezer safe bag or covered container and place in the freezer until you need some for tea time.
Alternatively, use an ice cube tray to pack in the elderberry kit scraps to create tea perfect for one mug.
How to make elderberry tea for one using elderberry syrup scraps
Materials:
- elderberry syrup making scraps (1.5 tbsp or 1 ice cube)
- tea steeper
How-to:
- steep elderberry tea for 12 minutes in a mug of boiling hot water (about 8 ounces)
- add honey
- sip and enjoy!
Tea Tip: use a saucer to cover the mug during steep to keep the heat in the mug for a much warmer tea to sip.
Now, you can compost those elderberry tea scraps!
Now you’ve been able to use your elderberry syrup making scraps more than once! Reduce, reuse, recycle and all.
Two big benefits for the price of one:
- bottles of elderberry syrup
- loose tea leaves for elderberry tea sipping
We now know some of the health benefits of consuming elderberry syrup. If we make tea from the scraps and add honey, it’s almost the same but in a diluted version plus stretching the cost of syrup making kit!
Win-win, in my book!
Okay, if you can think of any other use for these elderberry scraps, please comment them below!
Perhaps we can add some elderberry tea leaves to a body care like exfoliating sugar scrub OR soap making? What are your thoughts on this?
When we’ve finally spent the last of these scraps, composting the elderberry to give life back to our gardens and soil is the very best next right thing to do.
Can I make elderberry tea iced?
Absolutely!
Take this same recipe method and simply allow the tea to cool before serving it over ice cubes.
Follow along for more
If you have suggestions for a third elderberry syrup kit scrap usage, come back and leave a comment or share a picture on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest so I can see it!
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