How to Make the Best Elderberry Gummies Homemade
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So you wanna know how to make elderberry gummies homemade! I promise you, it’s so stinkin’ easy. It may be a slight labor of love, but my kids think they’re so fun and it’s just a neat way to get elderberry in them without getting the spoon out and risking dumping it everywhere.
My kids will take elderberry syrup and even elderberry oxymel without me having to force them. They love it! So these gummies really aren’t to “trick” them into taking elderberry syrup or oxymel, but more of a treat. They really love “fruit snacks” from the store but I really don’t love the ingredients or how the food dyes make them behave the next day, so I do like to make my own when I have the time!
How Do You Make Elderberry Juice
With this recipe, you can use any fruit juice you’d like… but for the sake of this specific recipe, I’m using my homemade elderberry juice I have canned… the juice I use to make my syrup. Check that recipe out here!
I add elderberries to a pot with my herbs of choice, cover with water, and simmer then strain. That’s how I make all my fruit juices! It’s easy, doesn’t require special equipment, and works very well.
You can also use fresh picked elderberries and use a steam juicer if you have one! I don’t currently own one, but know folks that do, and they’re pretty handing juicing fruits. You can simply fill it and make the juice that way.
I do prefer to use my herbal infused juice that I use to make syrup that I can just for some extra health boosting benefits. Most of the time I’m making specifically these elderberry gummies homemade in August and September when the weather starts to change, life gets extremely busy, and everyone is feeling run down. We need the immune support! And what better way to do it than to toss a few of these elderberry gummies homemade down our throats.
My kids like them so well, they beg for them constantly which reminds myself and my husband to take some, too!
What Gelatin Powder Do You Use?
I really like to find a good quality beef based gelatin powder for these. The gummies and homemade jello don’t take a ton of gelatin, so a big container will last a good long while. I think that to make elderberry gummies homemade, if you’re taking the time to make homemade gummies, you should be investing in a good quality gelatin as well to be good for your gut.
No junk to bog down your gut while trying to support your immune system with elderberries now! I’ve been currently using the gelatin powder from Perfect supplements and like it will enough.
Can I Use My Homemade Elderberry Syrup?
YEP! I use the juice because that’s how I store it and I make small batches of syrup as I need them… meaning I mix the home canned juice with honey.
If you already have elderberry syrup, simply heat 1 1/2 cup of syrup with the gelatin powder and lemon juice just to dissolve the gelatin, skipping the step to dissolve the honey with the elderberry juice.
Then make as normal and now you have elderberry syrup in gummy form for easy dosing. Usually 2-3 gummies, depending on the size, equals 1 Tbs of syrup. Ish.
Can You Freeze Elderberry Gummies?
NO!
If you make this batch and find that you have way more gummies than you and your family will consume in about a week, make a smaller batch. This recipe can easily be halved or even quartered if you need it to.
Freezing any gelatin based stuff will completely change the texture and consistency once they thaw. They’ll end up runny and soggy and won’t hold together as well as they did when fresh.
That would be a sad day to make all those elderberry gummies homemade just to destroy them in the freezer. Abort mission!
Let’s make some homemade elderberry gummies!
Equipment You Might Want
- Silicone Molds
- Small Saucepan
- Sheet Tray
Ingredients
- 1 cup elderberry juice
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbs beef based gelatin
- 2 Tbs honey
Step 1: Prep
Add juice and honey to a small sauce pan over low heat. Heat gently, while stirring, just to dissolve the honey completely.
Add lemon juice, stir.
Sprinkle gelatin overtop 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly.
Turn heat on low again and heat until gelatin is dissolved. When you touch the back of your spoon, if you don’t see or feel any granules anymore and the liquid is smooth, it’s dissolved and ready.
Shut off heat.
Step 2: Fill Molds
This step is TEDIOUS, fair warning. Lay out your silicone gummy molds onto a cookie sheet so they’re easy to move! Fill using a small measuring cup or a dropper (some mold kits come with them, mine did).
Once molds are full, transfer to refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
Step 3: Storing
Gently remove the gummies from the molds and store in a airtight container in your refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Storing on the shelf doesn’t work well as the gummies like to “melt” and also grow mold pretty readily because we have no preservatives in here aside from the lemon juice which isn’t much.
And that’s how you make your own elderberry gummies homemade! Easy peasy and so much cheaper than anything you buy.
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- Sheet Tray
Ingredients
- 1 cup elderberry juice
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbs beef based gelatin
- 2 Tbs honey
Instructions
- Add juice and honey to a small sauce pan over low heat. Heat gently, while stirring, just to dissolve the honey completely.
- Add lemon juice, stir.
- Sprinkle gelatin overtop 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly.
- Turn heat on low again and heat until gelatin is dissolved. When you touch the back of your spoon, if you don't see or feel any granules anymore and the liquid is smooth, it's dissolved and ready.
- Shut off heat.
- This step is TEDIOUS, fair warning. Lay out your silicone gummy molds onto a cookie sheet so they’re easy to move! Fill using a small measuring cup or a dropper (some mold kits come with them, mine did).
- Once molds are full, transfer to refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
- Gently remove the gummies from the molds and store in a airtight container in your refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
- Storing on the shelf doesn’t work well as the gummies like to “melt” and also grow mold pretty readily because we have no preservatives in here aside from the lemon juice which isn’t much.
