3 Quick Home Remedies - To help keep those colds at bay this winter

No.1 GARLIC & HONEY

Both garlic and raw honey have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years and once combined and fermented, they create an immune powerhouse.

Simply peel the garlic cloves and pour over the raw honey, flip the jar every day or two and burp regularly. It should be ready after around 4 weeks although the longer it ferments, the more potent it becomes.

A common concern is the potential for botulism. For spores to grow, the pH of the solution needs to be above 4.6 and the pH of raw honey is typically between 3.2 - 5.4. If you want to be sure use a litmus test to test the PH prior to consumption.
 
 
No.2 FIRE CIDER

Fire cider is a powerful home remedy that definitely packs a punch.

It’s a concoction consisting of several potent ingredients, and although there are many different variations, today mine contains: onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, lemon, chilli, rosemary, sage, cloves, cinnamon and a few edible flowers such as calendula. They are chopped and added to a large jar and covered with a base of raw apple cider vinegar.

I let that sit for around 4 weeks and then strain out the liquid, bottle it up and pop it in the fridge until needed.
 
No.3 ELDERBERRY SYRUP

Elderberries have potent medicinal qualities that have been traditionally used to relieve fevers and cold or flu symptoms.

Once the berries are ripe, they can be picked and although they cannot be eaten raw as they are mildly toxic, once dried or cooked, they can be used to create teas, baked goods or my favourite a rich elderberry syrup that I store and use throughout winter.

My recipe Ingredients:
4 cups ripe elderberries, 1/2 cup chopped fresh ginger, peeled, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 4 cups water or 1-2cm of filtered water ideally, 1 cup locally sourced honey (shop bought is simply sugar with no health benefits and bee welfare is not a priority).