Fermented Elderberry Soda with Popple Tree Creek Farms

Craft your own delightful fermented elderberry soda with ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and honey using elderberries from Popple Tree Creek Farms! This refreshing beverage is ideal for sunny days and festive gatherings or to bring back memories of summer during a cozy winter day.

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Fermenting Time: 7 days

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 112 kcal

Author: Ben Machlitt @ Popple Tree Creek Farms

Equipment

• Quart Mason Jar

• Fermentation Airlock

• Fine Mesh Sieve

• Large Pot

• One Gallon Glass Wide Mouth Jar

• Cheesecloth

• Rubber Band

• Flip Top Bottles

Ingredients

You will need two Popple Tree Creek Farms DIY Elderberry Syrup kits or 2 cups Dried Elderberries plus optional spices.

Wild Yeast Starter

• 100 g Dried elderberries (1 cup)

• 100 g sugar

• 500 g non-chlorinated water

Elderberry Soda

• 3 L water

• 100 Grams (1 cup dried)

• 25 g sliced ginger or dried (optional)

• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)

• 10 cloves (optional)

• 340 g honey (1 Cup)

Instructions

Wild Yeast Starter

1. Combine the elderberries, sugar, and water in a quart-sized jar. Cover it with a tea towel and secure it with a rubber band or a fermenting airlock system.

2. Stir vigorously three times per day. Within 4-5 days, you should start to see bubbles forming. Strain out the elderberries when ready to make the soda.

Elderberry Soda

1. Once your starter is active, combine the water, elderberries, ginger, and cinnamon stick in a large pot and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

3. Strain the elderberry/ginger mixture into a wide-mouth gallon jar and stir in the honey.

4. Add the strained elderberry starter (or ginger bug) to the gallon jar. Cover the jar with cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band. Place it in a cool, dark spot to ferment, stirring vigorously daily.

5. You should see active fermentation in a day or two. Let it ferment for 5-7 days, then transfer to flip-top bottles.

6. Let the bottles sit at room temperature for a day or two to build carbonation, then refrigerate.

Notes

• If you prefer using a ginger bug, you can skip the wild elderberry starter and use about one cup of active ginger bug instead.

• Be cautious not to bottle too soon to avoid exploding bottles. If fermentation hasn’t slowed after a week, wait a bit longer before transferring to bottles.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 12 ounces

• Calories: 112 kcal

Enjoy your homemade elderberry soda with friends and family, and relish the delightful flavors of nature!

Can also be made with fresh or frozen elderberries.