DIY Winter Herbal Remedies | Immune Support with Fire Cider, Elderberry Syrup & More

As the air gets cooler and the days grow shorter, it's a perfect time to prepare for the winter season with a few herbal remedies that will bring warmth and wellness. Today I am sharing some of my favorite herbal preparations from fire cider to elderberry syrup to fermented garlic to a thyme syrup and even a sage throat and mouth spray. These remedies that help keep my family healthy during the winter months. All of the recipes I will be sharing came out of this book from Rosemary Gladstar, Medicinal Herbs, A Beginner's Guide. I've had this book for many years. It's well loved. I have many pages marked. It's a fun book. It's great for beginners. Every herb that's in here is easy to find, simple recipes, easy to follow. It's a great book. I highly recommend it. These time-honored recipes are not only easy to make at home, they are packed with nature's healing power. Grab your favorite mug of tea and let's get started. To begin the delightful process of creating this enchanting thyme syrup, we will carefully weigh out between two to four ounces of fresh thyme. Although if dry thyme is what you conveniently have available in your pantry, it will work just as well. I have about two and a half ounces of fresh thyme here on my countertop, which should be just perfect for our syrup making needs. Next, add the carefully measured thyme to a medium-sized saucepan and then pour one quart of fresh water. Now bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over low heat, being sure to leave the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape and prevent any overflow. Allow it to reduce down gradually, stirring occasionally until you end up with approximately two cups of rich and aromatic thyme infusion that will be simply wonderful for your syrup. Next, strain your thyme infusion by passing through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth and gently pressing out any liquid that remains in the herb after steeping, ensuring that you capture every last drop of that fragrant essence. This careful process will help you create a beautifully concentrated infusion that showcases the wonderful flavors and benefits of your thyme. Once you have carefully strained the herb mixture, measure out two cups of the infusion. Then add in one cup of honey, preferably local and raw honey if you can find it, to the warm liquid and stir thoroughly to incorporate the sweetener completely, ensuring that the mixture is well combined. After stirring, transfer the syrup into airtight containers, taking care to label each one clearly so that you know what's inside. This delightful herbal syrup should be stored in the refrigerator where it will remain fresh and usable for about three to four weeks. If you're looking for a longer shelf life, consider adding a quarter cup brandy to each cup of syrup. Not only does the brandy effectively act as a preservative, helping extend the life of your syrup, but it also boasts anti-spasmodic properties that can particularly benefit during times of cough and sore throat, providing you with soothing relief when you need it the most. If you're needing this delightful syrup for children, you could easily omit the brandy. A fun option for longer term storage is to try freezing the syrup in ice cube trays, allowing you to thaw just the amount you need whenever the moment arises. Just a gentle reminder, it's important to remember that honey should not be given to children under the age of one. Additionally, wouldn't this lovely syrup make the perfect gift to give someone special in your life? What a thoughtful gesture it would be. Next up on our exciting quest for homemade remedies that can help us navigate the notorious cold and flu-ridden winter months is the wonderfully versatile elderberry syrup. At this point, I feel like most people are familiar with elderberry syrup and its numerous benefits. Not only is it a deliciously sweet, but it's also an antioxidant powerhouse packed with goodness. I absolutely love using elderberry syrup with my daughter as soon as the first signs of an illness arise. It's not just effective, it's also quite yummy on its own, or when watered down in a mug of hot water and enjoyed as a soothing tea. I have the privilege of living in an area where Sambucus nigra grows, so I prefer to use fresh elderberries whenever I can. However, since it's not quite ripe elderberry season, dried ones will have to do for today's recipe. I'll be adding in what I have left, which is about one quart of dried elderberries, to my saucepan. Then I'll add two quarts of water and simmer this delightful concoction over low heat with the lid slightly ajar, just like I do with my thyme syrup. Once the water has reduced by half, I'll strain it. Make sure to press or squeeze out any remaining liquid from the berries to get the most out of them. After that, it's time to put in your add-ins. This simple yet effective recipe calls for one quarter ounce of fresh ginger root and one half teaspoon of ground cloves. I also love to include some cinnamon in mine, and I encourage you to get creative with what you have on hand and what you think will taste absolutely delicious. I've added in previous batches vanilla bean, orange peel, cardamom, just to name a few. Today I'm excited to add rose hips to the simmering mixture, and will be infusing it with lovely lavender afterward. Simmer again uncovered until it reduces by half once more. I'll strain it again and add equal parts of honey to the rich infusion, stirring to combine everything thoroughly. Finally, I'll bottle up this homemade treasure in airtight glass jars and store in the fridge where it will stay fresh for about 12 weeks. Don't forget to label! Enjoy this cozy remedy throughout the chilly season. Now it's officially fire cider time. This wonderfully pungent and spicy yet incredibly effective remedy boasts a delightful melody of ingredients that have long been celebrated for their remarkable health benefits and robust flavor. Think onion, garlic, horseradish, ginger, and the fiery kick of peppers, all beautifully infused in tangy apple cider vinegar. This invigorating concoction is not only delicious and uplifting when used as a zesty salad dressing, but for an extra touch of sweetness you can also add in some local raw honey for a lovely balance. However, fair warning, this is not necessarily a remedy for the faint of heart or taste buds, as it definitely delivers a bold and assertive punch. I'm making a quart-sized batch today, but I often prepare half gallons as well to have plenty on hand for those chilly days. First, I will chop up one medium-sized onion, then mix in four to five cloves of freshly chopped garlic, and about three to four tablespoons of freshly grated ginger and horseradish roots for that added zest and zing. This is the base recipe I got from Rosemary Gladstar's book, Medicinal Herbs, A Beginner's Guide, and I absolutely adore it. It suggests adding cayenne powder after the infusion period of three to four weeks, but I personally enjoy adding garden-grown jalapenos right from the start for an extra kick and a depth of flavor. In this particular batch, I will also incorporate some fragrant rosemary and zesty organic lemon for a delightful twist that enhances the overall experience. Once again, feel free to get a little creative with the unique ingredients you can choose to include. Top off the jar with apple cider vinegar, preferably unpasteurized for maximum benefits. Close the lid tightly and let it sit out of direct sunlight for three to four weeks, shaking daily if possible to aid in the infusion process. Afterward, strain and add honey to taste for a perfect finishing touch. Bottle and label your creation and store in the fridge where it can last for many weeks or until it gets consumed. From my experience, this robust concoction is not the most kid-friendly remedy, but it sure can make a delightful and thoughtful gift for your foodie friend who enjoys vibrant and bold flavors. Fermented garlic honey is next on our delightful list. Although this fantastic recipe is not included in the book, it's something I enthusiastically make every single year because our family absolutely adores the bold flavor of garlic combined with the delightful sweetness of honey. I love how fermented garlic honey perfectly combines the immune boosting properties of garlic with the soothing and calming benefits of honey, creating a wonderful natural remedy that supports overall health in a remarkable way. This powerful blend is not only known to enhance digestion, but also serves as a delicious and effective way to ward off pesky colds while promoting heart health. To make it, all that needs to be done is simply peel the garlic cloves, gently smash each one to expose the nourishing properties, then add them to whichever size jar you prefer. In retrospect, I should have definitely used a bigger jar on this particular day because the fermentation process was leaking honey almost every day for a couple of days straight. And then finally, top everything off with honey. I like to use a skewer or spoon to carefully move around the garlic, making sure that every piece is generously coated with that sweet golden honey. Garlic honey should be fermented for a period of about three to four weeks to truly achieve the best possible flavor. This fermentation process allows the distinct and robust flavor of the garlic to meld beautifully with the sweetness of the honey, creating a deliciously unique concoction that enhances many dishes or simply eaten on its own. As always, don't forget to take a moment to label your jar. It's a simple step that can make a big difference in keeping things organized and Lastly, we have a wonderful sage throat and mouth spray that I'm excited to share. I haven't tried this particular recipe before, but it seems truly intriguing, especially since I just recently got over a cold that left me with a sore throat. To begin, we will start by creating another strong infusion using two to three tablespoons of dried or fresh sage leaves. Simply pour one cup of boiling water over the sage and let it steep for about 30 minutes to fully extract those lovely flavors and benefits. After steeping, carefully strain out the leaves and combine three quarter cup of the fragrant sage infusion with a quarter cup of brandy or vodka for that extra kick. The recipe calls for just one to two drops of peppermint essential oil, but instead I prefer to use one teaspoon of a refreshing spearmint tincture that I made myself. To enhance the soothing qualities even further, add in one tablespoon of honey, which is a natural sweetener brimming with antioxidants and known for its soothing properties that can be especially helpful for sore throats, not to mention its potential benefits for digestion. Finally, store this delightful mixture into a spray bottle or bottle fitted with a mister. Personally, I'm thinking of turning mine into ice cubes, which will allow me to simply thaw them out when needed for refreshing relief. And that's it! We have a beautiful collection of winter remedies ready to support us through the season. I hope you enjoyed making these with me and feel inspired to try a few for yourself. Remember, wellness is a journey and these simple time-honored preparations are a wonderful way to care for ourselves and our loved ones. Thank you so much for joining me here today. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and let me know in the comments which remedy you're excited to try. Wishing you a cozy, healthy winter ahead. Until next time, friends, take care, be well, bye-bye.