A family member recently emailed me a recipe for a tonic she used with success last cold and flu season: Hair Raising Cider from Rosemary Gladstar’s book, Vibrant Health.
I read the recipe, and, not being one to shy away from a good home remedy (read my posts about Allergy Relief or Sore Throat remedies), I thought, “I’ll have to try that!” Of course, that was weeks ago. This morning, Hubs and I woke up with the cold that Little Bear must have caught from my mother, who works with pre-schoolers. (Those germs just spread and spread and spread, don’t they?) So, today was the day to make the cider, since it needs three weeks to steep. I don’t want to be caught without something the next time a cold runs through this house! (Want to know how it turned out? See my reaction to tasting this stuff for the first time HERE.)
Here are the ingredients:
Hair-Raising Cider from Rosemary Gladstar
1 Qt. vinegar
1 onion, chopped
1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup fresh grated horseradish
2 T powdered turmeric
cayenne
1 C honey (more or less to taste)
Here’s what I did (the rest of the recipe):
I used a 2-Quart mixing bowl to combine my concoction:
Onions, chopped and floating in the vinegar
An entire head of garlic ready to chop--such an interesting plant, each clove in its own wrapper...
This Root Was Hung Like a Horseradish (C'mon! How could I not comment?!)
Combine the vinegar, horseradish, onion, garlic, turmeric and pinch or two of cayenne.
The garlic and horseradish sunk to the bottom
I less-than-three tumeric.
Add the spices. I prefer organic spices (there is so much of difference in quality and flavor) from Simply Organic and Frontier. You can find them at natural foods stores locally or online at Amazon
We're ready to mix!
Cover and let sit in a warm place for 3-4 weeks.
Once I mixed the ingredients together, I poured most of it into a 1-quart Mason jar and the rest into a glass baby bottle, making sure the majority of the ingredients went to the larger batch.
The concoction, ready to sit for 3-4 weeks
After that time, strain the mixture, add the honey and rebottle. Refrigerate. Take 1-2 T at the first sign of a cold and continue throughout the day (approximately every 2-3 hours) until the symptoms subside.
Since I’m already dealing with a cold, I thought maybe I’d give the mixture a go, even though it isn’t full-strength. In all honesty, my body must have needed it, because I thought it tasted delicious! (It helps that I’m a huge horseradish fan.) I poured 1/4 c. into a teacup, covered with hot water, and added a teaspoon of raw honey. The horseradish clears out the nasal passages and the warmth of the liquid helped relieve my scratchy throat. The mixture is quite vinegary, but I have to admit that I love vinegar, too.
After drinking my cup-full, I felt better immediately. A few hours later, my symptoms were coming back, so I repeated the “tea.” Again, I started to feel better almost instantaneously. I have faith that this tonic will help us avoid over-the-counter medications should another bug show its funky face ’round here! Bring it, Cold Season!
Save My Arse Disclaimer: Healthful Mama is no medical professional, so always consult your naturopath or physician before trying anything new.
What do you think? Will you be making some Hair Raising Tonic? Do you have any home remedies that are tried-and-true?
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11 Responses to Homemade Cold Remedy
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Hi! Stopping by from MBC. Great blog!
Have a nice day!
Thanks for dropping by, Veronica!
Hi, found you on MBC. Am sure glad I stopped by! Your blog is awesome, and just hilarious. “Hung like a horseradish,” bwahahahaha. That just killed me. It made my day. Actually, this sounds like a wonderful home remedy. Garlic is a great alterative herb, and Cayenne and Horseradish are fantastic stimulant herbs…how did the whole thing taste, though? Hair-raising? I’ll bet. I was going to go make this, but my child is still a baby and I am hesitant to use honey with her. Any modifications you might suggest that I could use instead of honey? I’m just worried about the botulism.
Mare, I’m no doctor, but I wouldn’t recommend giving this to babies. The honey acts to 1)sweeten the mixture and 2)provide antihistamines from local allergens, so a substitute may not work very well.
Wow, I am a little scared just reading the ingredients, but I might just make some for this winter. They have Simply Organic spices at Target, by the way.
Good to know, thanks!
How long will it last before going bad?
Hi Jessi,
I don’t have an exact answer to that question, though since the concoction is mainly comprised of vinegar and the ingredients “pickled,” I would guess that it will last at least a year if kept tightly sealed and well refrigerated. However, use your judgement! If the mixture appears to be turning old, don’t use it.
[...] posted a Homemade Cold Remedy that has been getting a number of views on Pinterest. I was getting a lot of questions about the [...]
This is awesome! Totally going to have to try this
Thanks for sharing!
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