When I need relief for a sore throat and cough strike in my house, I am super grateful when I have all of the ingredients on hand for this quick recipe to find relief. It can also be useful for a pesky cough, as pineapple juice is fantastic for that. It’s actually surprising that I can even stand this recipe because I absolutely loathe vinegar of any kind and there’s an entire OUNCE of it per serving in this. It’s totally enjoyable to drink, though, I promise! If I can do it, so can you. Scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe!
What’s in it that benefits a sore throat and cough?
Only the best! This sore throat and cough relief recipe uses high-quality elder berry syrup, pure pineapple juice, raw apple cider vinegar, food-grade lemon essential oil or fresh lemon juice, raw or Manuka honey, and filtered hot water.
Elder Berry Syrup
If you’re new to the power of elderberry syrup, you’re in for a treat! Visit my Instagram saved highlight labelled “elder berry” to learn all about the incredible benefits of this amazing stuff. And for goodness sake, PLEASE don’t rely on store-bought syrups or tinctures. They are either full of unwanted sugars, or taste absolutely awful and you cannot guarantee how fresh or potent they are. Stick to DIY and either buy locally from someone who makes it, or purchase the ingredients you need to make your own at home. Get my FREE recipe here!
Pineapple Juice
Besides tasting so yummy, pineapple juice is awesome for relieving coughs. Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that has anti-inflammatory properties. It fights infections and kills bacteria. Drinking pineapple juice helps soothe a sore throat and aids the body to expel mucous easily. Perfect addition to this mix!
Remember not to just grab any pineapple juice, either. Many fruit juices are hardly juice at all and contain added sugars that will only fuel the fire to your cold. You want pure (preferably organic) pineapple juice for this!
Apple Cider Vinegar
I said it once, I’ll say it again: I LOATHE the smell and taste of vinegar. However, in this I can totally handle it! I cook with it regularly, too, but it gets so mixed in and diluted it usually doesn’t bother me in cooking. I am happy to say this turns out delicious, despite the entire ounce of Apple Cider Vinegar that goes into the single serving.
You might not know this, but not all ACV is created equally. This is literally the ONLY brand I will buy because it always has the “mother” with it. I can’t remember what that means right now (super tired fighting a cold myself), but I know someone told me a long time ago it’s important, so I just go with that. Plus, it’s organic and unpasteurized, right up my ally!
Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial properties and definitely is the key ingredient in the throat relief this tea provides.
Lemon
I usually don’t have fresh lemons on hand, but when I do that’s what my go-to is for this concoction. I definitely always have an organic lemon juice in my fridge, and food-grade lemon essential oil so one of those are typically what I grab when I feel that sore throat coming on.
Aside from being tasty and fantastic for your immune system, lemons have many other known benefits and uses (list sourced from gbnews):
- Prevents bacterial growth & infections
- Relieves nausea
- Treat throat infections (from the common cold to tonsillitis)
- Loosens chest congestion
- Treats urinary tract infections, as a result of lemon’s diuretic properties
- Lowers the effect on blood sugar levels, when consumed with a meal
- Regular use can relieve joint pain, lemon juice is an anti-inflammatory because of its anti-oxidants
Raw/Manuka Honey
Not only does this add some delicious sweetness, it is soothing and aids in healing from illness. Using Manuka honey will give a major extra boost, if you choose to use it!
Enjoy the Relief!
Don’t want to take it from me? Read this review for more thoughts:
[This] sore throat tea remedy works awesome! When a sore throat hits me, I’ve always had to ride it out in a lot of pain. I used this tea twice in one day and I am here to tell you I did not ride it out this time! My pain and sore throat were both gone. On day two, just as a precaution, I had another cup full and “poof” I was almost as good as new! Followed up by an extra few spoonfuls of Cultivating Motherhood’s Elderberry Syrup that day I was well and feeling great again.
-A Happy Reader
Some Other Immune Boosters I Use
I usually pull out all of the stops when either I, or one of my crew starts getting the sniffles. Over the last 9 years, I have gathered an array of information that helps support our bodies when we are ill.
Here is a simple list of the numerous things I keep in my cabinet/fridge/freezer, and things I do to help support our bodies during illness (or when exposed to illness):
- elder berry syrup – all we use is my recipe, get yours free right here!
- vitamin C – not all created equal, please do your research on which ones are best absorbed
- vitamin D – liquid only in my house, again…research this for yourself!
- bee propolis – one of nature’s many natural “antibiotics”
- fermented cod liver oil – numerous benefits, I use Green Pasture Cinnamon Tingle Flavor
- OnGuard, Breathe, and Serenity essential oil blends – I currently use dōTERRA, and recommend only other therapeutic grade oils like Young Living, etc.
- homemade bone broth – for sipping, and for soups
- limit sugar intake – illness feeds on sugars, fresh fruit only when we have the yuckies
- increase dark leafy greens
- encourage rest – naps for the whole house
- stay home – the last thing I want to do is expose someone else to what we have, and/or expose our active immune responses to something else to fight off
- and more – I’ll add more here as I remember!
I hope the next time you need relief from a sore throat and cough, this will do just the trick! Print the recipe below to use now or to save for a rainy day!
| Prep Time | 2 minutes |
| Cook Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
person
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- 1 ounce elder berry syrup homemade, not store-bought (see notes)
- 1 ounce pineapple juice not from concentrate, the real stuff
- 1 ounce apple cider vinegar I use Bragg’s brand
- 1-2 drops lemon essential oil I recommend dōTERRA or Young Living, can also use 1Tb fresh lemon juice instead
- 1 heaping tablespoon raw honey use Manuka honey for extra healing benefits
- 1 pinch cayenne powder this will make the burn more intense while drinking, but will add a good beneficial boost!
Ingredients
Optional
|
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- Measure out and pour elderberry syrup, pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, and preferred lemon option into a heat-safe mug.
- Fill cup with hot water to about 3/4 full.
- Add honey to taste (I like 1 heaping tablespoon full in mine).
- Drink up and have relief from an aching throat, the burn is so good!
Enjoy this up to three times a day, it’s an excellent way to get in a great amount of Vitamin C and antioxidants with the elder berry syrup and relieve a sore throat or pesky cough!
*Elder berry syrups are NOT all created equally, be sure you are making it from scratch at home using organic berries and preparing it properly to have the best taste and results. Join my mailing list to receive your FREE elder berry syrup recipe, delivered straight to your email!
Visit cultivating-motherhood.com for more recipes and encouragement!
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