Go Back
bottle and glass of elderberry cordial or wine

🍷 Elderberry Cordial / Wine

A versatile recipe for elderberries: make a sweet cordial with sugar, lemon, and water, or allow fermentation to create a homemade elderberry wine.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 1 Liter
Course: Codial, Drinks, Homemade Wine
Cuisine: European, International
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g Fresh elderberries stems removed
  • 500 g Sugar
  • 1 l Water
  • 1 Lemon juice & zest
  • 1 packet Wine yeast optional, for wine

Equipment

  • 1 Sausepan
  • 1 Sieve
  • 1 Glass bottle 1 liter
  • 1 Fermentation vessel optional, for wine
  • 1 Airlock optional, for wine

Method
 

  1. Place elderberries, water, and lemon juice + zest in a saucepan.
  2. Transfer to a fermentation vessel, add sugar and wine yeast.
  3. Fit an airlock and let ferment 3–4 weeks, until bubbling stops.
  4. Rack into clean bottles and age at least 2–3 months before drinking.

Notes

⚠️ Safety: Always remove stems and cook elderberries before use.
💡 Tip: Cordial is delicious mixed with sparkling water, while the wine develops deeper flavor with age.