One of my good friends started making elderberry syrup for cold and flu season, and she recently shared a jar with me. Darrol and I love it! We were doing a shot of her syrup the other day, and that great berry flavor got me wondering about how an elderberry shrub would taste.

Related: Tomato Tea for Cold & Flu Relief

How to Make & Drink Your Instant Pot Elderberry Shrub

If you’re new to shrubs, don’t panic. They’re really not that fancy. A shrub is a vinegar syrup, and making it is similar to making simple syrup.

To make this elderberry shrub, you combine dried elderberries with water, vinegar, sugar, and herbs right in the Instant Pot. Cook, strain, and you’re all set!

Unlike regular elderberry syrup, I don’t recommend taking shots of this Elderberry Shrub. It’s very vinegary – a bit much, even for vinegar-lovers like me and my son. Instead, mix your syrup with water or seltzer to taste.

I like to add an ounce of Elderberry Shrub to a glass of water and sip on it all day during cold and flu season.

Does it work?

I know there’s a lot of skepticism around home remedies like elderberry syrup, but y’all. I believe. Elderberry is my go-to during cold and flu season, and I don’t care if it’s legit or the placebo effect. It helps!

This Instant Pot Elderberry Shrub combines three things that help support your immune system:

• elderberries
• apple cider vinegar
• oregano

Even if this Elderberry Shrub is just a placebo, it’s a freaking delicious placebo (and it could still help you feel better)! It’s sweet, tart, and fruity.

You can shoot it straight up or mix it with sparkling water for a sweet-and-sour elderberry soda. You can also use it to make cocktails, just like my Sage-Blueberry Shrub.

Instant Pot Elderberry Shrub

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Instant Pot Elderberry Shrub is super easy to make and perfect for cold and flu season. It has elderberries, apple cider vinegar, and oregano to help boost the old immune system.

Author: Becky Striepe

Recipe type: Drinks

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried elderberries
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups organic sugar
• ½ cup fresh oregano, chopped

Instructions

1. Combine all of your ingredients in your Instant Pot (or pressure cooker). Bring to high pressure for 20 minutes, then do a natural release.
2. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the Elderberry Shrub into clean glass canning jars. It's important to use canning jars, because they are heat-safe, and this syrup is still going to be pretty hot as you strain it. No shattered jars, please!
3. Let the jars of shrub sit, loosely covered, on the counter until they are cool enough to handle, then screw on the lids, and refrigerate.
4. Your Elderberry Shrub will keep for a few months in the refrigerator.

3.5.3226

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My Top 10 Tips for Boosting Your Immune System

1. Reduce Stress – Stress can wreak havoc on the body, so proper stress management is crucial for keeping the immune system in good working order. Try listening to relaxing music, mediation, or doing yoga on a regular basis.
2. Exercise – Exercise has many benefits, most of which result in a healthier body. Even moderate workouts can rev-up the immune system by increasing the aggressiveness or capacity of immune cells. Studies have shown that people who exercise catch fewer colds.
3. Get Enough Sleep – When we sleep, our bodies are hard at work detoxing, repairing, and rebuilding. When we don’t get enough sleep, we’re denying our bodies the time it needs for these functions and we’re compromising our immune system.
4. Cook with Tumeric – Tumeric can be found in the spice aisle at the grocery store, but it’s been used for its medicinal properties in China and India for hundreds of years. It’s a powerful antioxidant, which can treat a whole host of ailments.
5. Drink Lemon Water – Starting the day with warm water and lemon is said to aid with digestion, flush toxins, and give the immune system a boost. Lemons are loaded with Vitamin C, which is known for its ability to combat colds.
6. Eat a Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet – Whole foods are loaded with nutrients the body needs to stay healthy while most processed foods are just empty calories that end up putting extra strain on the body as it tries to process them. Most of the immune system resides in the gut, and whole foods will help keep everything in perfect working order. Things like processed packaged foods, sugar, and dairy products tend to junk up the system.
7. Take Probiotics – Because most of the immune system does reside in the gut, it’s important to keep it in tip-top shape. Intestinal flora can sometimes get out of whack, so replenishing beneficial bacteria can help boost immunity. Probiotics can also help prevent and even treat some illnesses.
8. Have Some Garlic ­– The stinking rose contains broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents and immune boosting compounds. One clove is powerful enough to wipe out bacteria and infection. Raw garlic is most beneficial, as heat and water can deactivate garlic’s sulfuric compounds. Onions and ginger are also known for their ability to keep colds at bay.
9. Supplement – Vitamins C and D are both known for abilities fight infection and keep the immune system strong. There are also many immune boosting herbs such as oregano, eleuthero, ginseng, echinacea, and astragalus. Avoid taking herbs on a daily basis, as regular use can diminish their effects.
10. Avoid Smoking and Alcohol – Tobacco can impair basic immune defenses, and it increases the risk of developing bronchitis, pneumonia and ear infections. Alcohol can also damage the immune system and increase the risk of infection.

What do you do to keep your immune system running?

Reprinted with permission from Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen.

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As you may already know, I have recently recovered from a bout of swine flu or something equally as nasty. I pride myself on my impenetrable immune system and this is the first time I have gotten seriously sick in over 3 years! Fortunately, I was able to get back to my normal healthy self less than a week later. The past few years of dabbling with holistic remedies and becoming more in tune with my body really paid off and I was able to get over the yuckies quickly and easily. Here are some things I tried that seemed to work well.

Rest – is probably the most important as well as natural and obvious things to do.  It is pretty much the only thing you want to do, so that works out well. Sleep and relaxation is important because it helps your body use it’s energy to heal and regenerate. So, become a permanent fixture on the couch and relax with good books and movies – your body knows what to do.

Fluids – are equally as important as rest…. and you need lots of ’em. I chose to vary my fluid intake to maximize on the vitamins and minerals that my body so desperately needed. Some good bevies include:

• Water – Duh! Its the elixir of life, people! Drink tons of it.
• Tea – My fave brand for naturopathic purposes is Traditional Medicinals. I was fancying “Breathe Easy” , but they also have “Cold Care”, “Throat Coat”  and various Echinacea teas.
• Green juice – Green juice is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants. It is a great meal replacer if you are just way too sick to eat, or want to give your digestive system a little break. There are tons of green juice recipes floating around. If its got some leafy greens in it you’re on the right track. Some faves are here and here.
• Master Cleanse lemonade – For those of you that have done the Master Cleanse diet you are probably all too familiar with the staple “spicy lemonade” drink. I drink this whenever I am feeling under the weather and it ALWAYS makes me feel better, although I am really not sure why. This time was no different.
  All you need is:
  – 2 T. grade B maple syrup (It is very important that you use Grade B)
  – 2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
  – 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
  – 10oz. of purified water.
  Mix and enjoy the magic!

Vitamin C – Take 500mg of Vitamin C a day as soon as you start feeling yucky. Try to eat an orange, tangerine, clementine or another citrus fruit of your choice during the day. If sickness still overtakes you, continue your vitamin C intake every day.

Think healthy – Picture yourself healthy, happy and energetic. Tell yourself that you are going to wake up tomorrow feeling AMAZING and conquer the world. Most importantly, do not dwell on how horrible you feel. Accept it and move on. Think healthy and you will get over your illness much quicker. Its strange, but true!

Meditate – This is a bit of an extension on thinking healthy. Take some time out each day to completely concentrate on healing your body. Breathe health in and sickness out of each of your body parts. Is the concentration not there? Then use this free guided meditation.

Easy hydrotherapy – I find that a hot and steamy shower can help with stuffiness and make you feel incredibly better. I would suggest taking two short showers, (So they both equal one of your normal showers. Lets not waste water here.)  one in the morning and one before bedtime. Make sure the water is hot and steamy, but leave the door open (or the window slightly ajar, if your feeling brave) so when you get out of the shower you get a little shock of cold air. This is a mild form of hydrotherapy that is a common naturopathic cure for colds and flu.  If you use a peppermint soap (like Dr. Bronner’s) while showering, that could add to the refreshment factor. Once you’re done showering, blow your nose, bundle up, and go take a nap. Heaven!

Avoid caffeine and alcohol – Both are stressful on your system and are dehydrating, and both of those things are obviously counter productive. If you are staying well hydrated and resting, I promise you will not die without your morning latte.

East (mostly) Raw – Cooked and processed foods take a lot of energy to digest and process. That energy is desperately needed by the body to heal itself. Most raw foods are also extremely alkaline. When your body is in an acidic (non-alkaline) state, it is harder to fend off illnesses. I would suggest consuming only whole, uncooked foods with the exception of a hearty vegetable soup, which makes up for its cooked-ness by being loaded with veggies, fluids and warmth.

Get Active – Once you are beginning to feel a bit better (you can actually stand up and walk around), get slightly active. Go for a leisurely walk, stretch or do some light yoga. Sometimes that is all your body needs to heal completely.

Heres to a healthy and illness-free winter! If you happen to get sick, I hope this list helps you! Remember, I am not a doctor so try these suggestions at your own risk. If you are violently ill or you have a fever longer than 48 hours, you should probably contact a physician.

*Extra cute “swine flu” image from Getty.

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