It’s cold. And snowy. And it’s cold and flu season. Ick.
It’s common knowledge that drinking plenty of fluids is good for relief for a cold, but sometimes that sore throat just makes the thought of swallowing anything seem impossible. Last week I caught a cold and found myself faced with this conundrum.
The first solution I turned to was making a sweet and icy sparkling orange juice. Just because I described it as “sweet” doesn’t mean I needed to add any sugar though. This time of year juice oranges are SO sweet, and they’re barely acidic. This drink was the perfect remedy for a sore throat. Plus, any time I drink freshly squeezed orange juice, I notice that my fingernails are stronger, thicker and grow faster – all in less than a week of adding fresh squeezed orange juice to my daily diet.
Icy Sparkling Orange Juice
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Juice
Ingredients
- 2–3 juice oranges
- 1/2 cup crushed ice
- 3/4 cup sparkling water
Instructions
- Wash the oranges and juice them in a citrus juicer.
- Crush the ice (if you don’t have an ice crusher built in to your fridge, try placing them in a zip-lock bag and smashing them carefully with an ice cream scoop).
- In a 12-oz glass, add the juice and ice and then fill the glass the rest of the way with sparkling water.
The next juice I turned to was a trusty honey lemonade mixture. We’ve probably all heard that lemon and honey in hot water or tea is a great cold remedy. But sometimes cold beverages are more refreshing than hot ones, so switching to sparkling water makes this lemonade very appealing. I imagine this drink will make an appearance on my summertime table too!
Sparkling Honey Lemonade
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon raw honey (or more to taste)
- 10 oz. sparkling mineral water
Instructions
- Wash and juice lemon in a citrus juicer.
- Add juice to a 12-oz glass. Mix in honey until dissolved. (A clearer honey like orange blossom honey will dissolve better, but a creamy honey will dissolve with enough vigorous stirring.)
- Add sparkling water slowly to allow the fizz to dissipate.
For a slight deviation from the tart citrus drinks, a mixture of apple cider, fresh-squeezed orange and a tart red fruit juice (cranberry, tart cherry or pomegranate) is a nice change. Tart cherry juice is touted for its anti-inflammatory benefits, and it’s available at Weaver’s. Cranberry juice is a go-to cure for urinary tract infections. Pomegranate juice, also available at Weaver’s, is loaded with antioxidants and also has anti-inflammatory properties. And that beloved Weaver’s Orchard apple cider is loaded with vitamin C. In fact, an eight ounce glass of apple cider contains approximately 20-30% of your daily value of vitamin C according to Livestrong.com.
PrintTart Red-Orange Cider
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Juice
Ingredients
- Juice of 1 orange plus a sliver to garnish
- 1/4 cup concentrated unsweetened cranberry, pomegranate or tart cherry juice
- 1/2 cup apple cider
Instructions
- Wash and juice the orange with a citrus juicer, reserving a cross-section to garnish if desired.
- In an 8-oz glass, stir to combine orange juice, cranberry, cherry or pomegranate juice and apple cider.
Last but not least, a tart red fruit juice mixed with sparkling water and a slice of lime is an easy solution if you’re not feeling up to mixing too many fruit juices. All of these drinks are absolutely delicious and have great health benefits beyond just making your next cold more bearable. So raise a glass and toast to your health!
Sparkling Cranberry Lime Juice
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Juice
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cranberry, pomegranate or tart cherry juice
- 3/4 cup sparkling mineral water
- 1/4 slivered lime
- 1 teaspoon raw honey (if desired)
Instructions
- In an 8-oz glass, combine cranberry, pomegranate or tart cherry juice with sparkling water. Squeeze in 1/4 slivered lime. Depending on your preference for sweetness, add up to one teaspoon of honey to the juice.
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