Canning elderberry juice safely at home using water bath canning methods requires the addition of an acid like lemon juice or citric acid. Elderberry juice is the basis of elderberry syrup, elderberry jelly, and elderberry cough drops.
Elderberries are proven to inhibit viruses from replicating in the body. Many studies have been done for the herbal supplement industry that demonstrate that elderberries support the immune system, prevent virus replication, and shorten the duration of colds and flu. Elderberries are one of the best sources of both anthocyanins and the flavonoid quercetin both of which are helpful when you are coming down with a cold or the flu.
There are three, currently circulating, myths about the safety and efficiency of using elderberry for food and medicine. Check out the explanation behind these myths, and the safety protocols for working with elderberry.
A 2015 study that looked at elderberry cultivars indicated that some selected elderberry varieties when grown in 2004 – 2006 in Oregon and Missouri are showing pH values higher than 4.6, the arbitrary boundary between low acid and high acid fruit, for home canning purposes.
Growing conditions will affect fruit pH. The study this one was based off of showed that the same varieties of elderberry when grown in Corvallis, Or vs. Mt. Vernon, Missouri had a difference in pH of .25 in some instances. Also the pH of the berries varied as much as .45 in the years tested. Which shows that pH occurs naturally within a range and there is no need for alarm. The data was collected in 2003 – 2006 — study published in 2013.
Soil pH affects the pH of the fruit
It’s very likely that wild elderberries grown in areas with naturally acidic soil that has not been limed, will have a natural pH below 4.6.
Note that the purpose of these studies was not to determine if elderberries could be safely canned using traditional recipes. These studies were looking at commercially viable cultivars with high anthocyanin values for the supplement market. These elderberries were grown in commercial orchards, not in home gardens. The good news from these studies is that the elder varieties “Adams”, “Wyldewood”, and “Bob Gordon” are high in anthocyanins and good varieties to grow for herbal supplements in your own garden.
Glass of fresh elderberry syrup with cinnamon stick, brown sugar, star anise and elderberries on a wooden kitchen counter
Canning Elderberry Juice Safely at Home
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Canning Elderberry Juice at Home Safely
- Yield: 4 pints 1x
Description
Some elderberry varieties have a higher pH than the 4.6 recommended for safe water bath canning at home. Increasing the acidity of elderberry juice can improve the safety of home canned elderberry juice, jam, and jelly to prevent the growth of botulism.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 cups elderberry juice
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice, bottled or 1 teaspoon citric acid
- sugar to taste (optional) (Honey may be added before serving)
Instructions
- Extract elderberry juice from fresh or frozen elderberries. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint jar. Pour hot juice into jars over acid additive.
- Heat canning jar lids in a saucepan of simmering water to soften seal or treat them according to the manufacturers directions. Clean jar rims with clean towel to remove residual juice. Remove from pan, and place on jar rims of pint jars. Complete seal by screwing on the canning jar rings.
- Place in water bath canner. Fill canner with hot water to cover jars by 2 inches. Bring to a gentle rolling boil over medium heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Let jars settle for 5 minutes before removing from the canner.
- Remove jars using a jar lifter, and place on a clean towel on the kitchen counter. Allow to cool naturally. This will complete the seals.
- Seal is completed when the top doesn’t give when pressed with your finger.
- When jars have cooled completely and seals have completed, remove the rings and wash the jars. Label and date the jars before storing in a cool, dry place.
- You can use this juice to make elderberry syrup, elderberry jellies, or other elderberry dishes.
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Check your elderberry juice with a pH test strip. If you find that it is higher than 4.6 use the same guidelines as we use when acidifying tomatoes for home canning when canning elderberry juice.
Per pint:
- add 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice or
- 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid or
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Alternatively freeze elderberry syrup or elderberry juice or make a shelf stable elderberry syrup by adding 50:50 elderberry tincture or elderberry infused vinegar. Both vinegar and alcohol will prevent mold growth in syrup.
Fore-warned is fore-armed
There are some alarmist reactions coming out of some university extension offices this year telling people NOT to can elderberry jam, elderberry juice, or elderberry syrup for winter at all but instead consider garden elderberries ornamental shrubs only. Like this one. This article even warns us that pressure canning or adding acid to elderberries is unsafe, UNTIL a safe recipe is developed by your university extension office. (Ridiculous!) Elderberry is safe to be used as a functional food, not just as syrup or juice.
(This is why your herbal education inside the DIY Herbal Fellowship is so valuable. You can read the studies for yourself and see the government alarmism for the malarkey it is!)
Ironic, since elderberries support the immune system to fight viruses and stop viruses from replicating in the body and the studies cited demonstrate the value of elderberries for this purpose. Supporting your immune system is just as important as external factors and barriers, like masks, if not more so. Use common sense and add a little citric acid or vinegar to be safe, just like we do when canning tomatoes.
Have you noticed how elderberries are coming under attack this year from all angles? If it was really that important why has it taken 15 years to change safe canning recommendations?
While cyanide evaporates at 26°C, amygdalin evaporates at 226°C, and releases cyanide upon digestion. Know your dosages.
I believe pressure canning should be safe. But no reason to go up to 15psi. Treat them like you would tomatoes. Extension hasn’t had any new funding since 2015 (They are university professors that teach full time and do extension part time.) They haven’t had funding to test this, its just thrown out there to discourage the use of elderberries during a pandemic. Elderberries work. Period.
I’m keen to get into canning and I’ve bought a Pressure canner. Since that process sterilises the juice, and the jars, so they don’t need special treatment, AND you can go the extra and add the acid too, I fail to see why it would grow botulism if the procedures are followed properly.
I appreciate all the extensions have done to work through various recipes and publish them for safe canning, and if I’m going to can something they’ve covered then I use their method. But just because they haven’t yet got round to testing pressure canned elderberries or the juice even, doesn’t mean it isn’t safe. It means they’ve not found out yet. False dichotomy, isn’t it?
I have learned though that making your own adaptations can be fatal if you include things like thickeners or the wrong air gap or whatever, but I don’t think elderberry juice has any of the typical pitfalls in sight, so you? Heat is going to get right through it alright. As ever, I may be wrong so please be responsible for your own research and decisions, dear reader!
I do have a question though – does heat destroy the goodness in the juice, especially if I go up to 15psi? BUt let’s say 10psi. It surely will dismantle any vitamin c, I should think, but what about the anti oxidants and other wonders you describe?
Thank you
You can drink it freely like food. BUT if you were using it for a cold or flu, I’d probably use a tablespoon 4 times a day.
Thank you so much for this recipe for the elderberry juice- how much would you recommend drinking, similar to the elderberry syrup dosage? Thank you!