Herbal syrups are an easy way to get an infusion of medicinal qualities from plants into a substance that taste good (ie, kid friendly.) I prefer to use herbs and other holistic medicines and medicinal practices to treat my children’s common (and uncommon) childhood ailments, and herbal syrups have worked well for us. To make them, use 1/2 cup packed herbs to 1/2 to1 cup runny honey (preferably raw). Mix them together in a bowl, cover and let sit for 8 hours. Thoroughly filter out the herbs and store the infused honey in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator. Herbal syrups will last for a long time this way. We’ve used them up to six months later. I only make a small amount, and I’ve always used them up within six months.
A few notes: When using leafy herbs like mint, bruise it first in a mortar and pestle before mixing it with the honey to speed the process. Roots like ginger or onion need to be peeled and thinly sliced. Garlic should be crushed first and use significantly less of this.
Here’s a list of common herbs and what they are good for:
- Ginger: coughs, sore throat, colds, flu, high cholesterol and heart problems, indigestion (I always have ginger syrup on hand)
- Peppermint: indigestion, headaches
- Onions: bronchitis and other respiratory problems
- Garlic: colds and congestion, constipation and chest pain
- Cayenne: high blood pressure, cholesterol and heart disease, congestion, colds, burns or abrasions
- Parsley: Headaches, bad breath, blood circulation and general health
Take about 1 teaspoon every 1/2 hour for acute illnesses until symptoms are relieved. To assist in chronic cases, take 1 Tbs 3 times a day.
For more information about natural medicine, you can refer to my other website, Unrefined Health, which I recently created as a forum to share ideas and experiences on the topic. If you want to share your knowledge, please contact me through that website. I’d love to hear from you.
Oh yeah. I know you’re dying to know who the winner is, well, hmm….Should I tell you…..Alright, its
Carrie A. Groff
Congratulations!
Results can be viewed by entrants through this link at random.org
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