Easy Elderberry Shrub Recipe
Learn how to make an elderberry shrub, a tangy, immune-boosting tonic made with raw honey, apple cider vinegar, & elderberries. This old-fashioned drinking vinegar is perfect for cold & flu season.
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Servings: 16 Servings
Calories: 80kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh elderberries (½ cup dried)
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Optional Ingredients
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 5 whole cloves
- 5 cardamom pods
- 2 slices orange
- 2 slices crystalized ginger
Instructions
- Rinse elderberries, then pluck them from their stems. Discard stems, leaves, and green or unripe elderberries.
- Add ripe elderberries, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, orange slices, and crystallized ginger to a quart-sized jar and cover with raw honey.
- Label and date the jar. Allow the fruit to macerate for a week. Shake the jar daily, or when you remember.
- After a week, pour the jar's contents into a small saucepan. Gently simmer for 10-15 minutes to neutralize any toxins naturally found in raw elderberries. This step also deepens the flavor.
- Once the mixture has cooled to below 100°F, stir in apple cider vinegar. This way you preserve the vinegar's beneficial bacteria. Strain through fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean jar or a flip-top bottle.
Notes
- Avoid boiling the elderberries, a gentle simmer is all you need.
- When picking elderberries, make sure to only use ripe elderberries. Green, unripe elderberries and their stems are toxic and should be avoided.
- To can elderberry shrub, pour the hot shrub into sterilized jars, leaving a ½" headspace. Next, wipe the rims with a damp paper towel, screw on the lids, and process in a water bath or canner for 15 minutes. Keep in mind you'll lose some of the health benefits if you do so.
- Experiment with other fruit, sugar, vinegar, spices, and herb combinations to create different flavored fruit and berry shrubs.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoon | Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 0.5g | Sodium: 3mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g
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