Kitchen Medicine 101- How to Make an Immune Boosting Garlic Honey

Some of the easiest and most effective cold and flu remedies come right from our kitchen. You may not think of the produce aisle or your spice rack to be full of immune boosting potential but I promise you, most everything you need to get through cold and flu season is there!

In this first installment for Kitchen Medicine I wanted to remind us all of the healing power of garlic. It's an excellent remedy for lingering colds and helps ease flu symptoms so you get well fast. This simple blend of raw local honey and fresh garlic is effective, surprisingly tasty, and really simple to make.

I'm a huge fan of garlic and it isn't unknown to most who know me that I barely flinch at eating it raw by the clove. If you're not as crazy as I am then this is a perfect remedy because you still get the amazing benefits you can only get from raw garlic. You can use a lot of garlic in this recipe and it will still taste amazing!

The raw honey provides powerful enzymes, minerals, and vitamins and acts as a potent anti-oxidant. It's also very soothing for sore throats and mucus membranes making it a perfect companion with garlic against winter bugs.

How to Make Garlic Honey

I first made garlic honey a few years ago. I'd been sick for a few days and was looking for something to help loosen mucus and give me a bit more of an immunity boost. Along with taking oregano oil, using a neti pot, and getting plenty of rest I just wasn't getting any better and my sinuses and chest felt boggy. Insert garlic honey intervention! I made some quick garlic honey and it really turned things around.

Normally when you make garlic honey you let it macerate for a week in order to really get the goodness out of the garlic into the honey. However, I felt so miserable that I just began eating it after just a few hours. I ended up eating the entire head of garlic and immediately felt the results. My stuck mucus was much easier to expectorate and I felt more strengthened than I had in days. It's now one of my favorite go to remedies for all types of cold and flu.

Here's how to make it:

• 1 head of fresh garlic (make sure it isn't sprouting because that lessens its potency)
• 1 cup of raw honey (local is best if you can find it)
• A mason jar for storage

Loving Preparation

• Add the peeled garlic cloves to the mason jar either mashed, chopped, or whole
• Pour over the raw honey
• Cap the jar and store in a cool dark place
• Let the garlic macerate in the honey for at least one week before using (though I personally find it hard to wait that long!)

To Use

You can take garlic honey by the spoonful as needed. It's best taken as is but you can stir a spoonful into boiling water to make a tea if preferred. The honey should keep for about a month as long as the garlic is covered in honey.

Optional Additions

There are a few really great additions that I just love!

• Cayenne pepper
• Fresh ginger root
• Peppercorns
• Cinnamon
• Lemon zest

What to Use Garlic Honey For

Garlic honey is an amazing remedy for sore throats as well as for any type of cold with upper and lower respiratory mucus.
It's also a great immune booster that helps your body fight colds and flu more effectively. Sometimes you can even shorten the duration of a cold if you take a spoonful of garlic honey 3 times a day.

Another great way to use garlic honey is preventatively. If your coworkers or your kids are sick take garlic honey 1-2 times per day to help keep you healthy and hopefully cold free throughout cold and flu season!

Beautiful photos by Erin over at Gardenista

For more cold and flu articles look below:

The Best Remedies You can Buy for Cold and Flu
My Top 5 Preventative Cold and Flu Remedies
Natural Cold Remedies Part 1- The Healing Power of Elder
A Fun Way to Cheat Winter and Stay Well