Homemade Elderberry Syrup

Prepare the berries: Pick plump elderberries and use a fork to gently strip the berries from their stalks. While washing isn't strictly necessary since the mixture will be strained later, you can rinse them briefly if preferred.

Simmer with aromatics: Place the de-stalked berries in a saucepan and add enough water to cover them by about 1cm. Add the sliced ginger, cloves, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until the berries have softened and released their juices.

Strain and measure: Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a measuring jug, pressing the berries with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Note the volume of the liquid obtained.

Dissolve the sugar: For every 500ml of liquid, measure out 400g of sugar. Return the liquid to a clean saucepan along with the sugar and lemon juice. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Cool and store: Allow the syrup to cool completely before transferring it to sterilized bottles or freezer-safe containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to three months or freeze for up to a year.