I love the holidays and this week, in particular, is my favorite time of year. Christmas is over but New Year’s is coming and this week is still filled with family events and festive foods without all the expectations of trying to make the holiday perfect. But it’s also a busy, stressful time of year when people get sick. I have spent many New Year’s weekends taking care of sick kids and other family members. So besides eating the last of the cookies, I find myself making my favorite Flu Tea.
This tea is made from Elder flowers, Yarrow, and Peppermint–three herbs that can help strengthen the immune system. This tea is an antiviral, diaphoretic, antioxidant, antibacterial, and digestive aid. While you can drink this tea at any time during a cold, it works best at the first sign of illness. When you feel yourself getting sick, make a cup of tea. While it’s brewing, run a bath as hot as you can stand it. Get in and drink the tea–with water as hot as you can stand it–and sit and sweat in the tub for at least ten minutes. Then get out, dress as warmly as you can, and get into bed under lots of covers so you keep sweating. Then try to sleep. You will sweat the cold out while you sleep and you’ll feel much better the next day. If you can’t find the dried tea leaves listed below, you can try buying them from Mountain Rose Herbs.
For those of you new to this series, Sarah Munro, the heroine in ONE DARK WISH, the second book in the Deadly Force series, is an 18th century historian who inherited a collection of colonial-era herbal and homeopathic remedies. And in this blog space, I’ve been sharing her recipes with you all. I’m adding this recipe to her collection because the ingredients in this tea have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and immune strengthening qualities. If you choose to add a dash of honey for sweetness, it is rich in antioxidants that can help aid digestion, soothe coughs, and lower inflammation.
Note: I am not an affiliate of Mountain Rose Herbs. I just love their website and buy most of my herbs and other special ingredients from them.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Dried Yarrow leaves (Achillea millifolium)
- 1/4 cup Dried Peppermint or Chocolate Mint (Mentha spicata) leaves
- 1/4 cup Dried Elder Flower (Sambucus canadensis, S. nigra) leaves
- Honey, to taste
Directions for Flu Tea
- This recipe makes 3/4 cup of dried tea mixture. Each cup of tea uses 2 teaspoons for 18 cups of tea from one recipe.
- In a small bowl, stir together the herbs and store in a glass container with a tight fitting lid.
- To make one cup of tea, put 2 teaspoons of dried tea into a tea ball and place in a mug.
- Boil the water and pour over the tea ball in the mug.
- Steep for at least 5 minutes (or longer if that’s your preference) and remove the tea ball.
- Sweeten with honey, if you want it a bit sweeter.
- Enjoy!
Important Disclaimer: Herbal Remedies, Wild Plants, and Foraging
The information shared in my Romance Herbalist posts is intended for educational, historical, and entertainment purposes only. I am not a physician, licensed herbalist, or other medical professional. Nothing on this website should be considered medical advice or a substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare provider.
Herbs, flowers, spices, and other plants have been used for centuries in cooking, traditional remedies, and folk medicine. However, natural does not always mean safe. Some plants can be toxic, cause allergic reactions, interact with medications, or be unsuitable for certain medical conditions.
Before preparing, consuming, or using any herbal product, please keep the following precautions in mind:
- Medications and medical conditions: Consult a qualified healthcare professional before using herbs medicinally, particularly if you take prescription or over-the-counter medications, have an existing medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are preparing something for children.
- Allergies: Research potential allergic reactions and cross-reactivity, especially if you have known allergies to plants, herbs, or spices.
- Plant identification: Never harvest or consume a wild plant unless you can positively identify it and confirm that it is safe for its intended use. Some poisonous plants closely resemble edible or medicinal varieties.
- Harvesting and foraging: Avoid collecting plants from roadsides, chemically treated areas, contaminated soil, or locations where pesticides, herbicides, or other pollutants may be present. Always follow local foraging laws and respect private property.
- Preparation and consumption: Research appropriate preparation methods, potential side effects, and safe quantities before using any plant. Certain plants may be safe in food but dangerous when concentrated or prepared incorrectly.
- Food safety: Use clean equipment, properly stored ingredients, and appropriate food-handling practices when preparing herbal teas, infusions, syrups, or other homemade products.
A note about traditional remedies: References to historical or folkloric uses of plants do not establish that those uses are medically effective or safe. Any discussion of potential health benefits is provided for general information and should not be interpreted as a recommendation to treat, cure, or prevent disease.
By choosing to forage, prepare, or consume any plant or herbal product discussed on this website, you accept responsibility for your own research, decisions, and safety. The author makes no guarantees regarding the safety, effectiveness, or suitability of any plant, recipe, or preparation described.
When in doubt, consult a qualified professional before using any herb or wild plant.
