You may have noticed that elderberry extract is in everything now. I become increasingly frustrated when I pick up a product boasting to contain elderberry extract, but then see that it has only around 100mg of actual extract.
I recently picked up a product made by a big manufacturer at a big box store that was "natural cough relief and immune health" product. This product was $10.59 for an 8oz bottle. This "syrup" boasted having a true source of honey and real elderberries. Even if that were true, the high heat bottling process (essentially canning) would kill off any benefits that honey may have once contained.
I recently picked up a product made by a big manufacturer at a big box store that was "natural cough relief and immune health" product. This product was $10.59 for an 8oz bottle. This "syrup" boasted having a true source of honey and real elderberries. Even if that were true, the high heat bottling process (essentially canning) would kill off any benefits that honey may have once contained.
I then look down to see how much elderberry extract a serving contained. It was only around 100mg, much like everything else being sold on the market. We estimate that our elderberry syrup contains around 1275mg of elderberry extract per serving/TBSP. Even if we are wrong in our estimation and it is half (637.5mg) that is still far below what our product offers.
Our elderberries come to us from a European source (masters at growing and harvesting elderberries). We receive them dried and reconstitute them by boiling them in water and extracting them ourselves.
Other companies simply buy extract or frozen elderberry juice. Frozen juice comes from sitting the elderberries on dripping racks in the fridge after they are picked, with a bucket underneath. The juice that drips out of the berries is then frozen and sold (and often diluted with water). This is a subpar elderberry extract. Many American berry producers offer this and some of our local competitors choose this option.
Our elderberries come to us from a European source (masters at growing and harvesting elderberries). We receive them dried and reconstitute them by boiling them in water and extracting them ourselves.
Other companies simply buy extract or frozen elderberry juice. Frozen juice comes from sitting the elderberries on dripping racks in the fridge after they are picked, with a bucket underneath. The juice that drips out of the berries is then frozen and sold (and often diluted with water). This is a subpar elderberry extract. Many American berry producers offer this and some of our local competitors choose this option.
Our syrup is made from whole, dried berries - which, much like blueberries, holds a high amount of its properties when dried, thus allowing us to fit more berries in a pot and making a more concentrated syrup. We then boil them in water with the other ingredients on an adjusted temperature setting throughout the process. We then press the elderberries and other ingredients with a press to extract every last drop of goodness.
Our local raw honey is straight from a local apiary and is not added until after the syrup liquid is cooled below 90 degrees. Heating honey over 90 degrees kills off the live enzymes and beneficial properties of the honey. This is solely why our product requires refrigeration and is not hot-poured to become "shelf-stable". We truly produce an elderberry syrup that your great or great-great grandmother would produce.
Be wary of any product that is sitting on a warm store shelf. Be wary of any mass produced product that contains elderberry and x, y, z. If you want the true benefits of elderberries it is wise to purchase a freshly produced product in which the main ingredient is elderberries. Products that are teas, powders, mixtures that have vitamin C, D, Zinc, oh and also elderberry will most often advertise the elderberry first. They want you to feel good about your purchase and want you to feel as if you are benefiting from the properties of elderberry. Most consumers do not realize these products contain very little to trace amounts of elderberries, and worse yet, the way these products are processed and manufactured often harms what benefits were remaining.
If you want the benefits of elderberries your product should not be cheap. If you want the benefits of elderberries your product should contain a large amount of elderberries. It should be the first or second dry ingredient in the ingredients list (liquid like water and honey weigh more than herbs and spices). If you want the true benefits of elderberry syrup in particular, that elderberry syrup should be found and kept in the fridge.
As always, you get what you pay for <3