Because there are so many elderberries to be found in the area where my husband works, he is the elderberry forager in the family. He’ll stop on the way home and harvest, and then after dinner, he and I will sit on the back porch as the sun sets, listening to tunes and removing berries from the stems. It’s a late August date every year. And the next day I set about dehydrating the elderberries for elderberry syrup, or I make low sugar elderberry jelly.
In my opinion, elderberry is best for jelly, rather than jam, because the berries are half seed and not particularly pleasant for jam.
The seeds, stems, leaves, and root of the elder plant contain toxic cyanide-inducing glycosides which can cause nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting. You will destroy these toxins by cooking the berries, but some people are sensitive to the seeds even when cooked. I find it best to remove them.
It is true that some people enjoy black elderberries raw, without distress, but cooking the berries is highly recommended.
This post about toxins in elderberries is very helpful.
If you’re looking for elderberry to forage in your area, the best time of year to spot the bushes is when they are in bloom. Here in the northeast U.S. where the American elderberry grows (Sambucus nigra L. ssp. canadensis), that’s generally mid-June.
Their showy, large white flowers are easy to spot along country roads growing in moist, well-drained, fertile soil.
Keep those areas in mind, and when the elderberries are ripe, you’ll know just where to harvest.
Once ripe, these elderberries will be made into low sugar elderberry jelly.
Benefits of Elderberry
Traditionally, elderberry has been used to strengthen the immune system and to fight flu. Modern science is beginning to prove that elderberry is indeed powerful medicine.
It’s hard to ignore the health benefits when studies like this are showing that using elderberries relieved symptoms of the flu four days earlier than those receiving a placebo.
And heating the elderberries not only destroys the toxins, it actually increases the benefits because heating concentrates the anti-oxidant compounds found in the berries. (Source)
Making Low Sugar Elderberry Jelly
If you haven’t yet tried Pomona’s Pectin, you don’t know what you’re missing. You can make all kinds of delicious jams and jellies without all the sugar. Sweeten it to taste with low amounts of any sweetener: sugar, honey, maple syrup, stevia, or even frozen juice concentrate.
I don’t use honey in recipes where the honey doesn’t remain raw, but maple syrup is wonderful in this jelly and doesn’t overpower the elderberry flavor.
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Homemade Low Sugar Elderberry Jelly
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 pounds fresh or frozen elderberries *
- 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
- 1 1/2 cup organic cane sugar or pure maple syrup
- 1 box Pomona's Pectin
Instructions
- Place your cleaned elderberries into a stock pot and add enough water to almost cover the berries.
- Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 20 - 30 minutes.
- Strain berries through a juice strainer or jelly bag for 30 - 60 minutes.
- Measure your juice. You will need 4 cups for this recipe (you can double the recipe if desired). Add water if needed to get 4 full cups.
- Combine the elderberry juice and lemon or lime juice in your cleaned stock pot.
- The package of Pomona's Pectin contains 2 smaller packages. One is pectin powder and the other is calcium powder. Put 1/2 teaspoon calcium powder and 1/2 cup water in a small jar with lid. Shake well. (Any leftover calcium water will last for several months in the refrigerator, or may be frozen indefinitely).
- Stir 4 teaspoons of the calcium water into the elderberry juice and stir well.
- In a separate bowl, combine sugar and 4 teaspoons of the pectin powder. Mix thoroughly.
- Bring the elderberry mixture to a full boil. Add the sugar-pectin mixture. Stir constantly for 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar and pectin. Return to a full boil.
- Remove from the heat.
- Ladle the jell into clean, hot, 8 ounce canning jars to 1/4" of top. Wipe rims of jar clean and screw on 2-piece canning lids. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
- Yields approximately 4 cups of jelly.
Notes
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Lisa L Lombardo says
We used to make elderberry jelly when I was a kid growing up on the farm. These days I don’t have any elderberries nearby. I think I need to plant some!
Jennifer Dages says
I never heard of Pomona’s pectin before. I think I will get a box of that to have on hand to make some jams.
Stacey says
Hi! I enjoy your blog. When you are foraging , Are you worried that the plants or flowers may have been treated with a pesticide or some sort of fertilizer? I would love to start but I am concerned about that.
Susan Vinskofski says
Yes, it’s important to know the land from which you are gathering. So ask landowners (you should be asking them for permission, so ask about pesticide use while you’re at it) or park managers, etc.
Jae says
Have you ever mixed elderberries with muscadines to make jelly? If so, was the recipe similar to your elderberry jelly recipe? Any suggestions?
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Jai, That’s not something I’ve ever done, but I checked a recipe for low sugar muscadine jelly and it looks very similar so I think it would be just fine to add the grapes to the elderberries.
Debbie says
Hello. Wondering how many 8 oz jars of jelly this recipe makes. Can’t find that info anywhere. thank you
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Debbie, you can expect to get 4 – 5 8 oz jars of jelly. Enjoy!
Bonnie Wilcoxson says
I just discovered your site in my search for low sugar elderberry jam recipes. I am pre diabetic and learning to cook and eat much differently than I have in the past.
There’s a wild elderberry bush down the road from my house and today I picked, washed and froze five cups of them with the thought to make jelly and perhaps some syrup. Do you have any thoughts about using monk fruit or erithrytol sweeteners rather than stevia? I’ve only used stevia once, hated it, gave it away. These little berries were labor and time-intensive so I really don’t want to blow this effort.
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Bonnie! According to Pomona’s Pectin you may certainly use monk fruit to make jams and jellies. I’d start with a small batch of jelly and use the monk fruit one to one to replace the sugar. From there you can decide if you need more or less for the next batch.
Diane says
Excellent recipe and instructions. Thank you!
Susan Vinskofski says
You’re so welcome; thanks for stopping by!
Katie says
If you double the amount of elderberry juice and sugar, do you also double the amount of pectin and calcium water?
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Katie, yes, to make a double batch, double all ingredients. 🙂
Darlene says
Sounds like a great recipe! Thank you! Can you use dried elderberries to make the jelly? I usually only get about a cup of fresh a year from our plants, and frozen are impossible to find in our area.
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Darlene, while I have never tried making jelly from dried elderberries, I have seen recipes that do so. You would have to soak the dried elderberries overnight to reconstitute them.
Crysti Hemerick says
Can I use a box of low sugar sure jell instead of Pomona’s with this recipe?
Kimberly says
Darn! I came here with this exact question and its the only question not answered by the author. Im sorry she didnt answer you. I l, too, need to know whether its safe to replace the Pamona’s with another brand of low sugar pectin and still be shelf stable.
Susan Vinskofski says
You can use another brand, but you must follow the instructions for the other brand. Unless it is a low methoxyl pectin you cannot reduce the amount of sugar used.
Susan Vinskofski says
I apologize that I never received a notification that you had a question. You can use another brand, but you must follow the instructions for the other brand. Unless it is a low methoxyl pectin you cannot reduce the amount of sugar used.