It’s cold season and everyone in my family has been affected. While I have a lot of herbal resources for fighting the common cold, one of my favorites is what my grandmother used to call Hot Ginger.
A combination of fresh ginger juice, fresh citrus, and honey, it’s a perfect drink to soothe a stuffy head and sore throat. It’s also a recipe that Sarah Munro (the heroine of ONE DARK WISH, the second book in my Deadly Force series) discovered while studying herbal remedies of the 17th century. Although those older recipes included a few other herbs, this updated recipe is much more palatable.
Sarah Munro’s Hot Ginger Cold Remedy
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh ginger, peeled and juiced (you need 3 fluid ounces per mug)
1 Tablespoon local honey
Dash of cayenne pepper
Juice from 1/4 fresh lime
6 fluid ounces hot water (not boiling)
1 thin slice of a fresh lemon.
Directions:
In a large mug, add 3 fluid ounces of the ginger juice. Stir in the honey, cayenne, lime juice, and 6 fluid ounces of hot (not boiling) water. Top with the fresh lemon slice.
Drink this hot ginger three to six times per day until you feel better. This drink can help shorten the time of a cold and also opens up the sinuses.
Put the remaining ginger juice in a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Important disclaimer about wild plants, foraging, and making herbal remedies:
I am not a medical professional and nothing written on this blog is medical advice. None of my statements have been evaluated by the FDA (I am legally required to give you this disclaimer).
It is important to do your due diligence before foraging, harvesting, and/or consuming any type of medicinal plant.
- If you are taking any medications, talk to your doctor about any potential drug interactions.
- If you are allergic to anything, make sure whatever you are foraging is not in the same family. Example: While dandelions are typically considered safe, those who are allergic to ragweed, latex, daisies, or any other plants in the same or similar families, may not be able to consume dandelion.
Always research potential side effects, dosage recommendations, and how to properly prepare and consume each medicinal plant.
Always make sure you are foraging what you believe to be. Fully prepare and study the anatomy before harvesting wild plants.
Always make sure your kitchen/work area is clean and that all materials are sterilized.
Do not forage plants from areas that have been sprayed within the past 2 years at the very least.
I am not legally or morally responsible for the health of any of my readers. Please do your own research!
