How to Make Elderberry Jam
Elderberry jam is a delicious condiment with irresistible flavors! Full of antioxidants, this simple fruit spread is so easy to make at home!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my full disclosure.
If you love fresh elderberries as much as I do, you might be interested in turning them into delicious elderberry jam or elderberry juice.
The black berries are best known in elderberry syrup. Full of vitamin C, this syrup has become very popular, as it is known to boost the immune system. It is a good idea to take this wild food regularly during the flu season.
I cannot think of a more delicious way to use the berries than in a delicious elderberry jelly or jam!
Ingredients to make elderberry jam
Thankfully, making a homemade preserve requires just a handful of simple ingredients.
- elderberries: The main ingredient in this delicious jam is also called Sambucas nigra. Caution: while the ripe cooked berries are safe to consume, the raw elderberries, leaves, and stems are toxic (source).
- lemon juice: I like to add the juice of one-half of a large lemon to my elderberry jam. It adds extra acidity, but also gives the jelly a more complex flavor. If you don’t have fresh lemon juice available, you can use lime juice, or substitute the juice with a small amount of citric acid.
- granulated sugar: Since elderberries are pretty tart on their own, you will likely want to add some sugar. How much sugar is a bit of a matter of preference. You can start with a smaller amount and gradually add more if you like.
- Pectin: while it is entirely possible to make jams and jellies without any added pectin, I like to include it. Its addition helps the jam set sooner so that you don’t have to boil it for so long.
- Frozen apple juice concentrate: Whenever possible, I like to use natural sweeteners. Apple juice concentrate adds a certain amount of natural pectin. But even more so, apple juice brings out the flavors of all fruits without tasting like apples. It also makes this a low sugar recipe.
If you can’t find frozen apple juice concentrate in your grocery store, you can use regular apple juice. In that case, you’ll have to adjust the amount of sugar and pectin a bit, and possibly the boiling time of the jam.
Substitutions and variations
- Other fruit: If you are unable to locate fresh elderberries, you can use dried elderberries instead. Elderberries have a unique, tangy flavor that some people don’t like. Feel free to add other fruits to your elderberry jam, such as blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries.
- Pectin: If you’d like to avoid buying pectin, you can use the natural fruit pectin of apples. (source)
- Sugar: Using apple juice or apple juice concentrate is a bit of a two-punch. However, you can use organic cane sugar instead and add some pectin and/or lemon juice or citric acid.
- Other sweeteners: most often I use organic pure cane sugar. Sugar is a natural preservative. If you will be eating your elderberry jam fairly soon, you could also use maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, or even stevia.
- Elderberry jelly: the ingredients are the same as for this elderberry jam recipe but you’re only using the elderberry juice. For that, I have been using a steam juicer. Depending on how many cups of juice you get, you might have to adjust the amount of sugar and pectin
Useful kitchen tools and equipment
Making homemade preserves is relatively simple, but these tools will make the experience easier and more fun, too!
- Canning jars: I either use Weck jars or Mason jars. You can buy these items individually, or in a set. Some people like to use a potato masher, but I find that the elderberries easily pop on their own as they begin to boil.
- For juicing the lemons, I like to use a stainless steel citrus juicer.
- Jar Lifter: I sterilize the jars and lids in a 225˚F hot oven for 10-15 minutes and use the jar lifter to take the jars out of the oven. Alternatively, you can submerge the jars and lids in boiling water for about 10 minutes.
Where and when to find elderberries
Every year, I set out to find elderberry bushes. I have identified and memorized some locations in our area where they grow in the wild. Periodically, I go and check those places.
Elderberry season depends on where you live. Here in Northern California, the first ripe elderberries arrive in June, and the season runs to late August. In Germany, we used to have to wait until the fall to pick them.
The University of California agriculture department has a fantastic guide to harvesting elderberries.
I suggest that you drive around your area. Elderberry bushes thrive near farms and homesteads that are close to rivers or other water sources. Once you find a few bushes, you will be able to identify good spots for them. But don’t be surprised if people keep the location of those bushes a well-kept secret 😉
Interestingly enough, it’s fairly easy to grow an elderberry tree in your garden. You can buy small plants in nurseries. Or do it as I have done: simply chop off a good-sized stem and stick it in the ground in the late fall. This way I have been growing my own elderberries for years!
How to make elderberry jam
To see the full recipe and instructions for making elderberry jelly or jam, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Combine the berries and fruit juices in a large pot.
- Add pectin and bring to a full boil. Notice how the white coating disappears as you bring the berries to a boil.
- Stir continuously for 5 minutes. Stirring prevents the mixture from burning.
- Taste the jam and and adjust the sweetener if it’s needed.
- Test for doneness by using a spoon test: Drop a bit of jam on a cold plate. If it gels, it’s ready. If not, keep boiling for another 5-10 mins and retest.
- Seal the elderberry jam in canning jars. Using a ladle and funnel, fill the jars, leaving 1/4-inch of space at the top.
Important Note: Use caution when filling and placing lids on the jars, as the jam will be very hot.
After screwing lids on the jars, turn them upside down. Let them sit like this for about 5 minutes before turning them upright again. This ensures that the jars have a good seal.
Recipe video tutorial
Helpful Recipe Tips
- To remove elderberries from their stem: Use a fork to carefully pick the raw berries off the stems. I let them drop right into a clean, medium sized cooking pot.
Alternatively, you can freeze the elderberry clusters for a few hours beforehand. Simply put them on a cookie sheet and pop it into your freezer. Once frozen, the berries will just fall off the little stems. - Use caution when handling and discarding the leaves and stems, as they are toxic to humans and animals.
- If you’re unable to locate fresh berries and you want to use dried instead, Mountain Rose Herbs is an online retailer that sells dried elderberries.
- Taste and adjust the sweetness if it’s needed. Elderberries are quite tart on their own so experiment with your desired level of sweetness.
- To preserve the elderberry jam so that it is shelf stable, you will need to process it using a water bath canner or pressure canner.
Serving suggestions
My favorite way to enjoy elderberry jam is as a spread on bread or toast. It is also delicious as a topping for yogurt, your morning oatmeal, or warmed up and served with ice cream.
You can also use it as a topping for cake, muffins, or German cheesecake.
Rumor has it that I eat jam straight from the jar with a spoon … Yum!!
Elderberry Jam Recipe FAQ
Yes! If you can’t find fresh elderberries, you can absolutely use dried elderberries to make jam. They are easy to find at online retailers like Amazon and Mountain Rose Herbs.
Before using dried elderberries to make jam or jelly, you will first need to soak them in a large bowl of water overnight.
To test fruit jams and jellies for doneness, perform a spoon test. Simply drop a bit of jam on a cold plate. If it gels, it’s ready to remove from the heat. If not, keep boiling for another 5-10 minutes, then retest.
Similar recipes you might like
If you enjoy making preserves, here are some other recipes and posts you might like:
Best Tips for Picking More Blackberries
Elderberry Jam
Ingredients
- 4-5 cups elderberries, picked off their stems
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ whole lemon, juiced
- 2-3 TBSP frozen apple juice concentrate or ¾ cup apple juice
- 1 TBSP pectin
Instructions
- With a fork, pick elderberries off their stems. You can freeze them beforehand to make this easier.
- Place the elderberries, lemon juice, apple juice concentrate, and sugar in a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium heat until the elderberries are mostly popped.
- Add the pectin, stir well, and continue to boil for another 5 mins.
- Do a gel test: drop a bit of jam on a cold plate. If it gels, it's ready. Otherwise continue boiling it or adding a bit more pectin.
- Fill in sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch to the top of the jar. Put lids on and process as desired, such as pressure canning or water bath canning.
Notes
- If you can’t find fresh elderberries, you can also use dried elderberries. In that case, soak them in warm water overnight.
- Some people don’t like the seeds in the jam. You can press the elderberry mash through a fine sieve to make elderberry jelly.
Nutrition
Pin For Later
Right away I am going to do my breakfast, after having my breakfast coming yet again to read other news.
Nice ~ Anja
How do you store it? Can you freeze it like freezer jams?
If you get a tight seal on the jar, you can keep it at room temperature. Once opened, keep it in the fridge ~ Anja
Wondering if and when you washed your berries? Before you froze them??
Thanks!
If the elderberries look pretty clean to me, I don’t wash them. However, you can always do that over a strainer to catch the berries that fall off.
Can I used store bought elderberry juice concentrate to make this as I don’t have enough berries?
Interesting! I haven’t tried it myself but don’t see a reason why not. If you end up doing that, keep us posted on your results ~ Anja
Anja, this is lovely! I’ve made elderberry jelly before, but I’ve been hankering to make a jam. Thanks for this recipe! I’m going to try it as soon as our elderberries are ripe for the picking!
Nice! Happy jam-making ~ Anja
Thank you! We picked some elderberries late last summer and they’ve been frozen while I figure out a recipe to make!
Oh, perfect! Sounds like you are ready to make some jam ~ Anja
Hello! I am working with elderberries and trying to learn to make as much as a can out of them. I wanted to make an elderberry syrup, like this, https://blog.strictlymedicinalseeds.com/how-to-make-elderberry-syrup/, for colds and immune boosting. I was wondering if it was possible for me to make the jam with this syrup, so I could conquer two birds with one stone? Thank you!
Yes, you can do that. I will be more like a jelly. Happy making ~ Anja
I am looking at a recipe that calls for 6 (six) cups of sugar, now looking at your recipe that calls for 1 cup of sugar. Do you know why there would be such a difference?? Health wise I would rather use only 1 cup of sugar. Just want it to taste good! 🙂
Without seeing the other recipe, it’s a bit hard to say. Generally speaking, American recipes tend to be sweeter than European. Also, sugar is a preservative. You could experiment and see how you like the results ~ Anja
Wish I had read your article and recipe first. Cleaning/de-stemming the berries is quite a chore. The freezer tip makes so much sense. I had to rinse them a lot, and the berries had a fair amount of liquid/juice, taking a lot longer to cook down. If I make this again, I’ll try the freeze technique. Also, I may separate out much of the seeds.
I am so glad you enjoyed this article! Happy jam-making ~ Anja
Thank you for the wonderful recipe! I just made some this afternoon. It was so easy.
Nice! That makes me happy to hear ~ Anja
ANJA, you are a talented cook and I would like to learn new recipes from you. Where could I find an Elderberry branch here in Larkspur and stick it in my yard for next year?
Danke u schoene Woche. Ingrid
Thank you so much, Ingrid! I will email you separately ~ Anja
Still waiting for my elderberries to ripen, they are a deep purple with still some green ones but they have not glazed over like your picture, this is the first year mine have produced, deep in south Texas
Elderberries do not always get that whitish coating, they can also just be black. But you definitely want them ripe, ie.black. Hope this helps ~ Anja
Thank you for this recipe, I can’t wait to make my elderberries into jam!
Nice! Happy canning ~ Anja
Thank you for the print button!
You are welcome ~ Anja
Iv just got dried Elderberrys , im not sure what amount i need to make jelly, I normally use fresh, but iv moved to the highlands of Scotland and they just don’t ripe up here,
If you’d like to use dried elderberries, you can rehydrate them in cold water or boiling water. Just cover them and wait until they’re plumped up. Then you can proceed as if you had fresh berries. Hope this helps ~ Anja
This looks so delicious and so easy to make! I just got my dried elderberries yesterday. I’m making this recipe this weekend for sure. Thank you so much for sharing!
Nice! Happy jam-making ~ Anja
This recipe sounds amazing, I don’t water bath either. I have a dumb question tho, when do you remove the seeds? We absolutely love elderberry anything, and thought I would give your recipe a try. Everyone does things different and maybe I missed it in the reading.
Great article, thank you.
I usually make jam (that has the seeds in it). You can either use a steam juicer https://amzn.to/3rZsZr3 or boil the elderberries and strain out the seeds. Hope this helps ~ Anja
Looks really good
Thank you so much ~ Anja
Great article! I haven’t used elderberries as much as I should; this article really makes me want to plant a couple on my property in the coming year. The recipe looks wonderful, too! Thanks!
Elderberries are so easy to grow and you can harvest them right in your garden ~ Anja
This looks yummy! I would use mine to top yogurt for sure! Can I substitute for coconut sugar?
I have only tried elderberry syrup but I am hoping to get a elderberry bush or two next spring and will keep this in mind!!!
Oh, it would be delicious on yogurt for sure! I haven’t tried using coconut sugar but I am pretty certain you can use it ~ Anja
We love elderberry jam! We just made a batch last month. Definitely one of our family favorites!❤️
Isn’t it the best? Thank you for commenting ~ Anja
I am a fan
Nice! Thank you so much ~ Anja
I am brand new to elderberries and canning and only have made elderberry syrup, but I love this recipe! Sounds delicious and easy. Thank you for sharing!
Yes, you’re right; it’s both delicious and easy! Happy jam-making ~ Anja
Beautiful recipe! I love your technique and will be trying this for sure.
Thank you so much – I hope you’ll love your elderberry jam as much as we do!
I do not see a recipe for the elderberry jam
Thank you for your comment – I will add one 😊