Elderberries have been used for generations in folk medicine and are believed to have immune boosting properties. While elderberry syrup has made it onto health food store shelves, and is easy to make, I use my elderberries to make drinking vinegar or shrub, so I get the immune boosting benefits from the elderberries as well as the digestive benefits from apple cider vinegar. Of course, I have to tell you that I can’t prove any of those claims, but I believe it and it works for me!
This is my base recipe for elderberry shrub. Depending on the day, I will throw other things in, like cloves, cinnamon sticks, raw ginger, fresh oregano or other herbs. Most days, however, I keep it pretty simple!

Anne’s Basic Elderberry Shrub - Immune Boosting Drinking Vinegar

2 cups raw black elderberries
4 cups organic, raw apple cider vinegar with the mother
Honey - 1-2 cups

Combine elderberries and apple cider vinegar in a stainless steel or glass non-reactive pan. Bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Pour into a glass jar with a non-reactive lid and let it sit 24 hours or up to 2 weeks. Use a potato masher to gently mash the berries to release more juice.

When you are ready to bottle it up, wet a clean muslin dish towel with water and wring it out or use several layers of cheese cloth, and strain the vinegar off the elderberries. Squeeze out as much as you can. Add raw honey, stir and bottle. I keep one bottle handy and keep the extra bottles in a cool cupboard for up to a year, if I don’t give them all away.

I’d love to know if you make this. I’ll be uploading a video to Instagram soon! There’s just so much work to do outside to get ready for winter first!

Anne Dovel

Notes: I save glass apple cider or other vinegar bottles or kombucha bottles with plastic lids for my shrubs.
I keep one bottle in the fridge and take a swig a day, for immune support. If I feel sniffly, I will drink it with water over ice, or take a couple spoonfuls throughout the day.

Shrubs are a refreshing summertime drink, diluted with water over ice. They are also called Pioneer punch.

Drinking vinegars or shrubs, were originally used in colonial times to preserve the harvest of medicinal fruits, berries and herbs in a mixture of apple cider vinegar and honey. It was then enjoyed, diluted with water or with alcohol added, as a refreshing drink. We just dilute with water or ginger ale, if we want to be fancy, but the shrub itself actually feels slightly effervescent when mixed with water. An added bonus is that you will be drinking apple cider vinegar, with it’s many health benefits.