It’s been feeling like fall here in the Midwest and I have those awkward days of wondering whether I should wear my flip flops or boots. These are the only two things I wear on my feet for the most part – because they are easy to wear and it gives me less choices that I have to make when I start my day. Yes, I am in that season of life where anything that makes life easier is necessary. 😉
In thinking of fall lately, I’m sharing my 3 favorite DIY home remedy recipes that I try to have on hand for the coming fall and winter months. Now is the time to prepare so that if a sickness arises, I have what I need on hand and ready to use!
Recipe #1: Homemade Cough Syrup
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Cut 2 large onions and place in double boiler (if you have one).
- Cover with raw honey at least 1/2 inch above the onions.
- Add 2 TBS. licorice root and 2 TBS. wild cherry bark.
- Simmer on very low heat until the onions become translucent. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can simmer it very gently in a pan for about 20 minutes. A double boiler is better because the pan being directly on the heat will take more of the beneficial properties from the raw honey.
- Strain the onions and herbs out and store in a jar in the refrigerator up to 3 months.
- Adults can take 1 Tbs. and children 1 tsp. of the syrup up to every 15 mins as needed. Allow the syrup to slowly trickle down the throat as you take it. If you don’t have the licorice or wild cherry bark, you can use this same recipe with just the onions and raw honey for a very effective syrup! You can also make a cough syrup out of just the wild cherry bark and licorice, but that is a different recipe.
If you’re concerned about the taste of using onions, even my pickiest daughter can take this syrup just fine. Some secrets to help your children willingly take it: make sure you add enough honey, and don’t tell your children that it’s made from onions – sometimes the thought of something affects the taste! 🙂
This syrup is good for about 3 months in the fridge. I would heat a little bit very gently before using for a cough as that will help soothe.
Recipe #2: Elderberry Syrup
Ingredients:
2 cups dried elderberries
4 cups water
3 cups raw honey
Directions:
- Bring berries and water to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Mash berries and strain through a cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
- Stir in vinegar and honey and pour into jar.
- Keeps in the refrigerator for 6 months.
Dosage suggestion:
Child – 1 tsp. daily
Adults – 1 tbsp. daily
(Or hourly if sick, or every 15 minutes if very sick!)
Recipe #3: Echinacea Glycerite
Ingredients:
Dried Echinacea
Jar
Food Grade Vegetable Glycerin
Instructions:
- Fill jar half way with dried herbs {or all the way with fresh herb}.
- Cover dried herbs with boiling water just to the top of the herbs {to help extract properties from the dried herbs}.
- Fill the jar with glycerin.
- Place a towel in the bottom of a crockpot. Place the jar on top of the towel. Fill crockpot halfway with hot water. “Cook” in the crockpot on warm setting for 3 days. Strain the herbs.
- Use 1/2 tsp. 3-5 times a day for children. Use 1 tsp. 3-5 times a day for adults. I administer for about a week. If the sickness is bad enough, you can even give a dose every hour until improvement.
These are three natural remedies I rely on during the cold and flu season, and any time of the year that we encounter an illness. The key thing to do is to begin treating at the first sign of illness.
This post is updated from its original posting of September 25, 2012
Linked to: Time-Warp WifeA Wise Woman Builds Her HomeWomen Living WellDeep Roots At Home Thankful Homemaker
I noticed that the Double E immune booster comes in .5 pound quantities. Your recipe calls for half of a jar full. How much of the half pound would be used for a quart size jar? It’s hard to know how much to order without having precise measurements – I understand that the recipe would apply to any size jar … I just don’t have a good feel for how much a half pound of the dry herbs would be translated to jars.
Does that make sense?
I’d like to order enough to continue making this throughout the entire fall and winter … just not sure how much to order.
Hi Larissa!
I do not have a new bag of Double E Immune Booster right now, but I compared it to another 1/2 pound bag from the Bulk Herb Store that has herbs of a similar weight in it. I think you could make 2 quart jars of Double E from the 1/2 pound bag. And just so you know, the finished tincture does not make a quart of tincture, but once you strain all the herbs, you will have about a pint of finished tincture. Great question! 🙂
Okay – that makes sense. Thanks for checking that for me.
No problem! 🙂
I love this post and am bookmarking it. I would love for you share it on my Blog Fest: http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/09/farm-girl-friday-blog-fest-1.html
I just linked up! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Wow, this post is jam-packed with helpful information, Jill!
I love the Immune Booster tincture from Bulk Herb Store, too. I always make cough syrup during the fall and winter, too.
Thanks, my friend! 🙂
Where can I find Elderberries? Are they better to find in the wild or bought somewhere
Finding them fresh in the wild is wonderful, but you can also buy them dried. My favorite place is the Bulk Herb Store, you can find the link above by clicking on the word “elderberries” in the elderberry recipe section. Thanks for the question! 🙂
How awesome of you to share your knowledge. I’ll think of you when I cough, and smile because I have secret recipes to help me stop!
I’d love to find fresh elderberries for jelly and to stew, but my mother read they are going to begin carrying them frozen like peaches and blueberries.
Oh I didn’t know about them coming out with frozen ones in the stores! Thanks for sharing!
You are awesome! I actually made the Homemade Cough Syrup last year and it really came in handy! Thank you for such helpful info, Jill! xo