Blackberry & Ginger Cold Buster

This blackberry & ginger cold buster reminds me a bit of hot Ribena. You know when you are feeling poorly and it just makes you feel better? Probably all the sugar in it haha. One of the things I wanted to introduce to this new seasonal recipe creations, is just how medicinal and immune boosting certain fruits and vegetables can be. Blackberries are packed full of vitamin C, which is awesome as we head in to autumn and the dreaded cold and flu season. Vitamin C is super powerful. Not only does it shorten colds, it heals wounds, regenerates skin, helps with the absorption of iron and battles free radicals.

Blackberries are also full of fiber, helping to reduce cholesterol, control blood sugar levels and provide food for healthy gut bacteria. They are also packed full of maganese, you don’t hear as much about manganese as other minerals. It’s vital to healthy bone development and a healthy immune system. It also helps your body metabolize carbs, amino acids, and cholesterol. Like vitamin C, manganese plays a key role in the formation of collagen.

So adding blackberries to ginger and lemon is a multiple immune booster. Ginger with it's anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects and lemon helping to aid digestion. This immune boosting drink is so easy to make, all you need is one pan. It is easy to re-heat and can be kept in the fridge, or even drank cold with ice and vodka. The choice is absolutely up to you, but I would most certainly add it in to your routine in the upcoming colder months.

You can find the start of the blackberry series over here, with the first recipe: Blackberry Scones.

Blackberry Cold Booster

Serves: 4Prep time: 5 minsCook time: 6 minsTotal time: 11 mins

Ingredients

• 175g blackberries
• Juice of 2 and a half lemons
• 2 thumb sized pieces of ginger, grated and juiced
• Half litre of water
• 4 tbsp sugar or honey

Directions

1. Add sugar, blackberries, lemon juice and water to a pan.
2. Grate ginger, and squeeze through a sieve to remove juice, add juice to pan.
3. Bring to the boil, smushing the blackberries with a fork or masher.
4. Make sure all sugar is dissolved.
5. Pass the contents through a sieve, serve hot.