Cold Busting Herbal Oxymel

Herbal oxymels use apple cider vinegar to extract the medicinal properties of the herbs, then honey is added to mask the strong flavour of the vinegar, while adding antibacterial and antiviral properties to the mix. The end result is an easy to consume herbal remedy that is great for coughs, sore throats and other acute mild viruses.

Raw apple cider vinegar contains pectin from fermented apples, which is a great ally for digestion, aiding in promoting the growth of good gut bacteria. I’ve mentioned before that 70% of our immune system lives in our gut, so a healthy gut can go a long way in supporting our bodies through cold season. Honey has been used by humans for over 5,000 years for its outstanding medicinal properties. Honey was traditionally used for a variety of disease conditions including eye diseases, asthma, throat infections, tuberculosis, thirst, hiccups, fatigue, dizziness, hepatitis, constipation, worm infestation, piles, eczema, healing of ulcers, and wounds. (NCBI) More recently, honey has been studied for its antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory actions, giving honey its ability to stimulate an immune response to infection.

The beauty of creating your own oxymel is that you’re free to choose your favourite herbal allies for the mix. Since I was looking for support through cold season, I chose to incorporate the following herbs into my oxymel.

Garlic: The sulfur compounds found in garlic make it a powerful antiseptic, antibacterial and antimicrobial agent used for many types of infections, including colds and flus. Garlic also contains Aliin which converts to allicin when the bulbs are crushed. Aliin has begun to be studied for its ability to stimulate production of white blood cells, supporting the body’s immune function.

Ginger: Ginger was traditionally used for digestive complaints and nausea, however it boasts warming antiseptic and antiviral properties useful for stomach bugs and colds and flu.

Clove: One of the earliest spices traded, cloves have been used for thousands of years for almost any ailment. Cloves antiseptic properties make it extremely useful for colds and flu.

Cinnamon: Most well known for its warming effects on the digestion system, cinnamon also boasts antiseptic and antiviral properties, so is a great addition when you’re suffering from the common cold.

Elderberries: Packed with vitamins A & C, bioflavonoids, beta carotene, iron, potassium and phytosterols, elderberries have powerful immune enhancing and antiviral properties. Elderberries have long been used by herbalists for fighting viral infections like the flu, herpes and shingles. While more conclusive research is needed, many studies show elderberries ability to reduce the length an severity of cold and flu symptoms.

Herbal oxymels are a simple to make, and a great ally to keep on hand during cold & flu season. All you need is your herbs of choice, raw apple cider vinegar, and a good quality raw honey. To get started you’ll first need to prepare your herbal vinegar.

Easy Herbal Vinegar:

Simply add your preferred herbs into a glass jar and cover with apple cider vinegar. If you’re using a mason jar like I did, be sure to slip a piece of parchment paper between the top of the jar and the lid, as the vinegar is corrosive so you won’t want it interacting with the metal top of a mason jar lid. Alternatively you could use a glass jar with a plastic lid.

For this recipe I used the following measures to make my vinegar:

1/4 cup chopped ginger

1 bulb garlic, chopped

3 cinnamon sticks

2 TBSP dried elderberries

1/2 TBSP dried cloves

Let your herbal vinegar infuse in a cool dark place for a minimum of 2 weeks.

Once you’re vinegar is ready, you’re all set to prepare your oxymel. For this recipe, I followed The Herbal Academy’s method to combine the herbal vinegar with honey by gently heating the infused vinegar in a pot and slowly mixing in the raw honey. Traditionally, you’d use double the amount of honey to liquid. For example, if you have 1 cup of vinegar, use 2 cups raw honey. I prefer my preparations it be less sweet so I used a 1:1 ratio. I had 2 cups of herbal vinegar so I used 2 cups of raw honey. Once your honey and vinegar are combined, label the jar and store your oxymel in a glass jar in the fridge and enjoy.

I hope you find this method, simple to create and helpful to support you and your family through the cold winter months.

Safety Note - because of the raw honey used in this recipe, do not give this oxymel to children under 1 year of age.