How to Make Elderflower Syrup {Simple Homemade Recipe}

Elderflower Syrup Recipe at Home with fresh blooms, sugar, and water. It’s an easy, flavorful recipe that yields about 1.6 quarts (1.5 liters).

When elderflowers start blooming, I always make this syrup. It’s just sugar, water, citric acid, and fresh flower heads steeped for a day or two. After that, you strain and bottle it. It stores for months and makes the best elderflower cordial, all homemade natural goodness. You’ll find the elderflower syrup recipe down below if you’re ready to make it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Best thing you can make when elderflowers are blooming: If you’ve got elder trees in your yard or can grab some blossoms while they’re in season, this syrup’s totally worth it. Snip the heads with small stems, shake out any bugs, and skip rinsing so you don’t lose the scent. It’s one of the easiest ways to keep that flavor around long after the season’s over.
Tastes amazing and couldn’t be easier: You make a hot simple syrup, then toss in the flowers and citric acid once it’s cooled down a bit. Let it sit for at least a day. It soaks up the flavor kind of like tea, and what you end up with is a light, floral syrup that keeps for months.
Make one batch, use it a dozen different ways: Add a splash to sparkling water with a little lemon juice. Stir it into a glass of white wine. Drizzle it over pound cake. Pour it on fresh berries with a few lemon slices, and you’ve got an easy dessert that tastes like summer. You’ll keep finding new ways to use this elderflower syrup recipe without even trying.

What You’ll Need

100 grams fresh elderflower heads (about 20): These fresh flowers is where all the flavor comes from. Don’t rinse them, or you’ll lose the scent. Just give them a gentle shake to get rid of any bugs hiding in there.
1 liter or 41/4 cups water: This makes the syrup base. Heat it with the sugar so it’s ready to soak up all that elderflower flavor.
1 kilogram granulated sugar: Sweetens the syrup and keeps it shelf-stable. If you cut it, it won’t store as well.
10 to 15 grams citric acid: Adds a bit of tartness to balance the syrup. Start with ten grams. That’s roughly the same punch as the juice from two lemons.

Tools

Large pot
Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
Sterilized glass bottles with airtight caps, like 330ml/11 oz or 500ml/17 oz bottles
Funnel (optional, but makes bottling easier)

Instructions

Prepare the syrup: In a large pot, combine 1 liter of water (about 4 1/4 cups) and 1 kilogram of sugar (about 5 cups). Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool slightly (to about 70°C/160°F, warm but not boiling).
Infuse the elderflowers: Add 100 grams (roughly 20) of elderflower heads and 10–15 grams or 2-3 spoons of citric acid to the warm syrup. Stir gently until the citric acid dissolves, cover the pot, and let steep in a cool place (like a pantry or fridge) for 24–48 hours.
Strain: After steeping, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean container to remove all solids. Discard the elderflowers.
Bottle: Pour the syrup into sterilized glass bottles (sterilize by boiling or heating at 120°C/250°F for 10 minutes) while the bottles are still warm, leaving about half-inch/1 cm of headspace. Use a funnel if needed. Seal tightly with sterilized airtight caps.
Optional water bath (for longer shelf life): Submerge the filled bottles in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes to create a vacuum seal. Let them cool at room temperature.
Store: Store unopened bottles in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months (or 12 months if water-bathed). Refrigerate after opening and use within 1–3 months.

bottles of elderflower syrup with elderflower

FAQ

Yes, you should. Sterilizing is a simple step that helps keep your elderflower syrup recipe from spoiling or growing mold. Boil the bottles and lids for about 10 minutes, or stick them in a 225°F oven for 20 minutes. Let everything cool before filling. It’s not a big hassle, and it’ll keep your syrup safe and tasting fresh for weeks or months.

You can use dried, but the flavor’s not the same. Fresh elderflowers give the syrup that light, floral pop dried ones don’t quite have. If you’re going dried, use about half as much. Make sure they smell good, not like grandma’s spice drawer that hasn’t been touched since 1998.

Yes, use the juice from two lemons. The flavor will be a little softer, but it works just fine. Make sure to strain out the pulp and seeds so the syrup stays smooth.

No, it’s not ruined. Just strain it now using a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. And if it’s been sitting for more than a few days, check the smell. If it smells fermented or off, toss it.

If it smells sour, looks cloudy, or there’s any mold, it’s done. A good batch should be clear and smell sweet. If it makes you second-guess, just chuck it.

5 Best Elderflower Syrup Tips

1. Don’t rinse the flowers

Rinsing washes off the pollen, which is where the flavor and aroma come from. Simply shake each elderflower head over the sink or outside to knock off bugs and debris.

2.Let it steep the full 24 to 48 hours

Let the flowers sit in the syrup for at least 24 hours, and up to 48 if you want a bolder flavor. Keep the pot covered and leave it in a cool spot like a pantry or fridge.

3. Use bottles with airtight lids

Use glass bottles with swing tops, metal screw caps, or mason jars with new lids. If the lid doesn’t seal tight, the syrup won’t keep.

4. Taste the syrup before bottling

Give it a quick taste after straining. If it’s too sweet or tastes kind of flat, stir in a small pinch of citric acid, then taste again. Add a tiny bit at a time until it hits just right.

5. Label the bottle with the date

Grab a Sharpie and write the date right on the lid or stick on a label. It’s easy to think you’ll remember when you made it, but you won’t.

Storage

If you sealed the bottles tight and kept things clean, you’re good leaving them on a pantry shelf for about 6 months. If you water-bathed them, you’ll get closer to a year. Just keep them somewhere cool and out of the sun.

After you crack a bottle open, pop it in the fridge. It’ll keep for 1 to 3 months. If it gets cloudy or smells weird, toss it.

I wouldn’t bother. Too much sugar. It doesn’t freeze right and ends up messing with the texture. Just bottle it properly and it’ll keep way better.

This article may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. You can read the full disclosure policy.