Since the weather hasn’t really been cold enough to kill all the viruses and bacteria that love to congregate when people come indoors during the winter (and people aren’t drinking enough water, getting enough rest, and they are eating cold weather comfort food), there are clusters of sickness going on. (An entire school shut down where my editor lives because they’ve had so many sick kids they want to clean the school.) And if you or a loved one is currently suffering from a sore throat, you will love this recipe.
Elderberries
Elderberry has been used in folk remedies for centuries and is known to help fight influenza colds and herpes simplex virus. In a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, patients (with influenza-like symptoms) received 15 milliliters of elderberry or placebo syrup four times a day for five days and recorded their symptoms. The group that received the elderberry recovered on average four days earlier than the placebo group. In another study on mice, it was determined that concentrated elderberry juice had a beneficial effect by stimulating the immune response and preventing viral infection.
Honey
The addition of honey into the popsicles should make them nice and sweet, without any processed sugar. Honey contains over two hundred substances, including amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, but mostly it’s just sugar and water. Honey has been reported to have an inhibitory effect on around sixty species of bacteria, including some species of viruses. A wide range of compounds including phenolics, peptides, organic acids and enzymes contribute to its strong antioxidant capacity.
Lemon juice
High in vitamin C, lemon juice is a major component of this throat healing remedy. Loaded with citric acid the lemon juice helps balance out the other flavors in the popsicle and helps sooth the throat with its antioxidant abilities.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon elderberries
- 3/4 cup filtered water
- 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoon raw honey
- 1 tablespoon grass-fed gelatin
- 1 cup coconut water, or coconut juice
- the juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
Combine the elderberries and water in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil then reduce and gently simmer for fifteen minutes. Strain the elderberries from the water with a fine mesh strainer, and gently squeeze them to get the juice out. Pour the Elderberry tea back into a saucepan. Then, sprinkle the gelatine over the elderberry tea and let it absorb for a few minutes. Add your honey after the gelatine has gelled a bit. Gently heat the mixture over very low heat, stirring slowly until everything is combined and melty. Make sure not to overheat this or the honey won’t be raw anymore. In a blender add the coconut water and blueberries, then blend until smooth. Pour the coconut mixture and the rest of the ingredients into the elderberry mixture, and stir just until combined. Finally, pour the elderberry popsicle mix into your popsicle molds and freeze until firm. Enjoy!
*Article originally appeared at The Hearty Soul.
