Having a well stocked home apothecary, full of natural herbal remedies is the perfect way to ward off any unwanted viruses or illnesses during the colder months. Today we’ve compiled a list of 5 fall herbal remedies for your natural medicine cabinet.
Elderberry syrup
Made from the berries of the Sambucus tree, native to Europe, Elderberry syrup is renowned for being a potent cold remedy and preventive. One cup of elderberries contains approximately 40% of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C (52.2 milligrams per cup). Here is a really good elderberry syrup recipe if you want to make one yourself or you can try our Lil' Berry Glycerite. A blend of Elder berries and other herbs in a sweet coconut glycerin that we make for boosting immunity to keep colds and flus at bay.
Elderberry syrup recipe
This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegetarian. To make it vegan, swap the honey for sugar.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups dried elderberries (Elderberries must be dried before using medicinally)
• 4 cups cold water
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup raw honey
• 1 cup vodka (optional to increase shelf life)
Method:
1. Mix the berries and herbs into a pan with cold water and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and steep for 1 hour.
4. Strain berries and herbs using cheesecloth.
5. Once the liquid is cool add honey and stir.
6. Add vodka here (if using).
7. Put the mixture in a sterilized container and keep in the refrigerator.
Fire cider
Fire cider is a spicy tonic that has been used for centuries as an immunity booster and preventing colds. It’s advised to take 2 - 3 tablespoons of fire cider per day as a tonic to aid digestion, reduce heartburn and indigestion.
Our Mango Fire Cider uses tropical medicinal plants like Mango, Moringa root, and Hawaiian chili peppers since some of these items like horse radish are not readily available in Hawaii, so we substitute Moringa root instead. We encourage you to get creative mixing different fruits and herbs into this basic fire cider recipe we like. There are lots of different fire cider recipes that you can create from a basic fire cider recipe. Need some more inspirational recipes, we love this book by renown herbalist Rosemary Gladstar and Friends, "Fire Cider! 101 Zesty Recipes for Health Boosting Remedies Made with Apple Cider Vinegar."
Fire cider recipe
This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan.
• 1 Tablespoon turmeric powder
• ½ cup grated horseradish root
• ½ cup peeled and grated ginger root
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 10 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 organic jalapeño peppers, chopped
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
• apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup raw honey
Method:
1. Mix the turmeric, horseradish, ginger, onion, garlic, jalapeno peppers, lemon, cinnamon and cayenne pepper into a jar.
2. Pour over the apple cider vinegar. Make sure all ingredients are covered.
3. Shake the jar to mix everything together.
4. Store for 1 month then use cheesecloth to strain the solids. Add the vinegar mixture to a clean jar.
5. Stir in the honey to the liquid. Taste and add more honey if needed.
Fermented garlic honey
Both honey and garlic have powerful anti-bacterial properties that are said to help your immune system. Garlic is a great herb for reducing and drying up congestion and mucus in the body and honey will heal small wounds, cuts, burns, and skin irritations when used as a vulnerary or wound healing remedy while helping to keep the wound from getting infected. This blend though is great when used as a tonic for colds and congestion by taking a small spoonful of it daily to aid digestion or to take when you start to feel a cold coming on as a preventative aid for recovery time.
Fermented garlic honey recipe
This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegetarian. The recipe requires raw honey, as it contains all the bacteria and wild yeast necessary for fermentation.
• 1 cup whole garlic cloves, peeled and slightly crushed
• 1 cup raw honey
Method:
1. Put the peeled garlic cloves into a wide mouth jar. Add enough honey to cover all the cloves.
2. Loosely place the lid on the jar and store in a dark place.
3. Every other day tighten the lid and flip the jar to recover the coves with the honey. Loosen the lid again afterwards.
4. Within a week you should see bubbles forming. Leave to ferment for about a month. The flavor will develop over time.
Chest rub
A vapor rub is typically used on the chest, back, and throat to treat common cold symptoms or minor aches and pains. It is one that Karen uses a lot to help soothe and open the airways of her lungs due to symptoms from Cystic Fibrosis. Make sure you are using organic, ethically and sustainably sourced essential oils such as Young Living oils or Doterra that rank high in purity and quality.
Homemade chest rub recipe
This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegetarian.
• ½ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup grated beeswax
• 20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• 20 drops peppermint essential oil
• Glass jar
Method:
1. Put the coconut oil, olive oil and beeswax into the glass jar.
2. Fill a saucepan with 2 inches of water. Place over a low heat.
3. Place the jar into the saucepan and allow the ingredients to melt. Stir to combine.
4. Once combined, allow to cool. Then add essential oils and stir to combine.
5. Pour mixture into a suitable container for storage.
Antibiotic oxymel
The herbs and roots in this natural DIY antibiotic have powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. This recipe is a vinegar based
Antibiotic tincture recipe
This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan.
• ½ cup fresh rosemary, chopped
• ½ cup fresh thyme, chopped
• ½ cup garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• ½ cup fresh ginger root, chopped
• Apple cider vinegar
A quarter cup of Honey is optional.
Method:
1. Add all of the herbs to a glass jar and pour over the apple cider vinegar. Make sure everything is covered in liquid.
2. Secure the jar with a lid, gently shake and place in a cool dark place.
3. Shake the jar every day for 6 weeks.
4. Strain the liquid using a cheesecloth and store in a glass dropper bottle.
5. A quarter cup of Honey (optional).
The best part about herbal medicine is the fun, love, creativity, and healing you can create in making them which adds to the healing vibrations of the herbs. We encourage you to make them all and let us know what your favorite recipe was in the comments below. Not into making them yourself, no problem you can still enjoy the healing medicine of these herbal remedies by trying one of ours or supporting your local herbal community in purchasing theirs. Until next time, wish you all a happy and healthy fall season.