Cranberry Immunity Tea

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Sharing one of my favorite cranberry recipes today, cranberry tea. Whether you are fighting off sickness or just looking for a festive drink, this is the perfect recipe. 

It’s no secret that I love cranberries and when I found them on sale this past week, I stocked up. I will use most of them fresh and then freeze several quart bags for using in recipes throughout the winter. 

Cranberries are so beautiful and festive around the holiday season and I love using them in recipes like homemade cranberry sauce, cranberry and orange scones, cranberry sourdough bread, and our family’s cranberry brioche star for Christmas morning. 

We also love this cranberry immunity tea which is not only wonderful for fighting off sickness, but is great for anytime you need a warm, nourishing drink. 

Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System

We drink cranberry tea all winter long, but it is especially helpful for boosting the immune system during sickness.

Cranberries are incredibly nutrient dense and pack a powerful punch against viruses. Here’s just a sampling of the health benefits of cranberries:

• Vitamin C: Cranberries are high in vitamin C, a nutrient well known to boost white blood cell count and help ward off viruses. 

• Antioxidant: Cranberries contain anthocyanins, the pigments responsible for their beautiful red color. These phytochemicals help to neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress in the body.

• Anti-inflammatory: Cranberries can help to reduce inflammation and thereby supporting your immune system against viruses. 

• Supports Gut Health: Cranberries are high in fiber which promotes healthy gut flora. It is well known that a healthy gut flora can help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and microbes.

Boosting with Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry syrup is another incredible way to boost your immune system. Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, it is incredibly helpful in supporting the immune system and preventing or shortening the duration of sick symptoms. 

I like to buy elderberries and make my own homemade elderberry syrup. It really is simple to make at home and is more cost effective than buying it. You can find my recipe here. 

If you do prefer not to make your own, I love the elderberry tincture from Earthley. I like to keep this on hand for traveling. 

These elderberry kits from Purely Parsons are also a wonderful option if you want to make fresh elderberry syrup, but don’t want the hassle of sourcing all your ingredients. 

Boosting with Fermented Garlic

Fermented honey garlic is another one of my favorite ways to boost our immune systems in the fall and winter. 

Both garlic and honey have amazing anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Honey is also a wonderful cough suppressant. 

The two combined, with the added health benefits of fermentation, make this a powerful combination. 

This is the basic recipe I use. We take it alone, mixed with other tinctures, or even drizzled over chicken or fish.

It’s amazing how many ways there are to naturally support our bodies. Food really is medicine!

Onto the cranberry tea!

Ingredients in Cranberry Tea

In addition to the cranberries, this tea has several other powerful immune boosting ingredients. 

Oranges

High in vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, oranges are another nutrient powerhouse when it comes to supporting the immune system. 

The combination of citrus and cranberry is one of my favorites in anything, making this a really wonderful addition to this tea.

Ginger

Ginger adds warmth to the tea, but it is also anti-inflammatory and a powerful immune booster. Ginger can also be incredibly soothing on a sore throat and calms nausea, a symptom often associated with congestion.

Honey 

Honey is antimicrobial, antibacterial, ant-inflammatory, and packed with antioxidants. Because honey is a natural cough suppressant and is soothing on sore throats, it makes a wonderful addition to this tea. 

The sweetness of the honey provides a nice contrast to the tartness of the cranberries.

That’s it! Four simple ingredients in this powerful immune boosting tea.

For extra flavor and added health benefits, consider adding rosemary or cinnamon. Play around with different herbs and spices, and even fruit combinations. 

Ways to drink cranberry tea

We love to drink this tea hot with a little bit of honey to sweeten it. Hot just generally sounds better in the winter time anyway, but it is also good cold. My daughter actually prefers it this way!

How to make cranberry tea

The secret with this tea is that you want to allow it to steep for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend and for maximum nutrition.

I like to steep mine in my french press coffee pot, but a glass teapot, or really anything will work. You just want a vessel big enough to hold all of the ingredients and cover it with water.

Making the cranberry tea is super simple. Start by slicing your orange into rounds. You’ll want about one orange per pot of tea.

Add one cup of fresh, washed cranberries and a piece of fresh ginger, about one inch long. I like to cut the ginger into smaller pieces as I think it helps the flavor of the ginger to shine through.

Once all ingredients are assembled into the pot, cover with hot boiling water and allow to steep for 10 minutes, at a minimum.

The longer the tea steeps the more robust the flavor will be. It also will turn into a lovely pink color. 

Once the tea has steeped, it is ready to serve. Add honey to taste and enjoy!

How to store cranberry tea

Cranberry tea repeats beautifully! Leftover tea can be stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for 2-3 days after steeping. 

If you feel like being extra frugal, use the fruit and spices in a simmer pot to get even more use out of them. Find my favorite simmer pot recipe in this blog post. 

Cranberry tea is a delicious tea to sip on all winter long and it is incredible for boosting the immune system as well. I hope you’ll give it a try.