Made with real juice and elderberries, this fermented elderberry soda recipe is a great way to nourish your gut and keep your immune system functioning at its best.

For most, elderberry only comes to mind during the winter when viruses and bugs are most prevalent. But for our homestead, elderberry is consumed any time of the year — in the form of elderberry gummies, popsicles, smoothies and drinks, just like this fermented elderberry soda recipe.

Elderberry season begins for us in the summer. The elderberry trees on my parents property come to life with beautiful white blooms during the early summer months. As fall approaches, the berries begin to appear. If we are not on top of our game and harvest the berries quickly, the birds will snatch them up.

The berries, flowers and leaves on an elderberry plant are great for all sorts of things. But for the purpose of this tutorial, we will be focusing on the immune system. Elderberry syrup is fantastic for immune support.

And if you have been following WholeMade Homestead for any length of time, you know my love for whey soda pop. So I decided to meld the two loves to create a delicious and nourishing fermented elderberry soda teeming with probiotics.

How Can I Boost My Immune System?

While boosting your immune system isn’t an instant process, and there are many ways to support your immune system, here are a few ideas I have found helpful through the years:

• Eat a traditional diet full of real, unprocessed foods closest to their natural (unadulterated) form
• Consume fermented foods and drinks full of probiotics and prebiotics
• Add raw garlic into your diet
• Take deeply nourishing herbs
• Get fresh air and sunshine every day
• Be sure to get a good nights rest
• Reduce stress
• Walk in love and forgiveness to others
• Get your hands and feet in the dirt. There is power in soil based organisms.

What is the Best Drink to Boost Your Immune System?

Hydration and proper nutrition are key to keeping your body strong.Try these healthy drinks to boost the immune system.

• Herbal teas – with herbs such as echinacea, chamomile, elderberry, nettle, burdock, or peppermint
• Milk kefir – drink a glass or mix into a smoothie using vitamin C packed fruit
• Vitamin C drinks – such as orange juice, grapefruit or fresh squeezed lemonade
• Bone broth – a great way to hydrate and nourish your gut as well as boost your immune system
• Consume a homemade drink to boost immune system such as an electrolyte drink – try this one from Raising Generation Nourished
• Raw honey – a powerful addition to any cool or warm drink with all of it’s vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and antimicrobial properties

What is Whey Soda?

A cultured beverage or fermented drink is a type of sweet liquid that has been allowed to sit out on the counter for a period of time to ferment, creating a living food packed full of beneficial bacteria. Whey soda is a type of fermented drink, filled with probiotics. Simply strain the whey out of milk kefir or even plain yogurt with live cultures, stir it into juice or a sugar water mixture and the bacteria in the whey will convert the sugar into lactic acid, creating a tasty fermented whey drink.

Where Do You Get Whey From?

The easiest method to collect whey is to strain it from a cultured dairy product such as milk kefir or homemade yogurt. If you want to use store bought yogurt, make sure it is unflavored and contains live, active cultures. Place cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a mesh strainer. Set the strainer over a bowl, add the kefir or yogurt and allow the whey to drip out for about 12 hours. I often will place the bowl inside the fridge overnight. The remaining translucent liquid (that can be slightly yellow in color) is called the whey.

How to Make Elderberry Syrup From Dried Berries

The easiest way to make elderberry syrup at home using dried berries is to simmer the elderberries in hot water on your stovetop. Simply place the dried berries and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, then simmer for 45 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, remove the juice from the berries and allow to the liquid to drain into a cup. Add your desired sweetener, such as honey or agave and any spices you’d like.

For a more detailed set of instructions on how to make elderberry syrup, check out this article.

Tools You May Need

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. In any case, I only link to products we actually use on our homestead and that I believe can truly benefit to you. See my full disclosure here. 

High-quality, thick glass bottle meant for brewing such as a Grolsch bottle

Cheesecloth or a coffee filter

Fine mesh strainer

Airtight half gallon glass container, such as a glass jug or mason jar

Funnel

Measuring cup

Saucepan

Elderberry Soda Recipe

Get a healthy boost to your immune system with this simple elderberry soda recipe. Made with a delicious blend of juices, whey and raw honey.

Makes: 1/2 gallon

Ingredients

4 cups non-chlorinated water
2 cups 100% apple juice
1 cup 100% cherry juice
1/2 cup elderberry juice or elderberry syrup
3 tablespoons raw honey
1/2 cup whey

Directions

Combine the water, apple juice, cherry juice, elderberry juice or syrup, honey and whey in a half gallon jar. Gently shake to combine ingredients.

Seal the jar and ferment for 2 to 6 days, depending on the temperature of the room. Transfer liquid to a Grolsch flip-top bottle or another airtight bottle. Optionally, second ferment for an additional 1-3 days to create an extra fizzy drink. The drink is finished when it is bubbly and tastes slightly sour.

To serve pour over ice or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe Variations

• Add pomegranate juice. Either substitute the cherry juice or replace 1/2 cup of apple juice with pomegranate juice.
• For a fresh pop of lemon and a boost of vitamin C, add in a couple tablespoons of lemon juice.
• Create a spiced fermented fruit soda by adding a pinch of cinnamon, ginger or cloves
• Swap out the raw honey for agave nectar. Or skip it altogether to make a fermented soda with 100% juice and no added sugar.

More Fermented Food Recipes

Raw Milk Yogurt

How to Make Milk Kefir

Fermented Honey Lemonade

How to Make Sauerkraut