Is your home apothecary ready for fall and winter? With cold and flu season around the corner, it’s time to prepare your herbal medicines. Here are three of my time-tested, go-to herbal remedies for fall and winter. These easy and effective recipes use common ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen or can find at the grocery store.
#1 Tamari Garlic
If you feel like you’re getting sick, eat garlic. Garlic contains several sulfur compounds that are antimicrobial. Garlic boosts the production of white blood cells, helping to fight off bacteria, parasites, and viruses. The antimicrobial properties of garlic are more effective if the garlic is eaten raw. However, you may not feel like eating fresh raw garlic, and for some people it causes digestive upset.
Tamari garlic is an herbal remedy that has the benefits of raw garlic without the side effects. This herbal remedy for fall and winter has been the #1 best cold and flu prevention for me over the years, EVEN MORE so than elderberry! If I feel a sore throat coming on or like I might be catching something, I eat a couple cloves of tamari garlic, and next thing I know, I am not getting sick!
Get the recipe: Tamari Garlic
#2 Horseradish Herbal Remedy
Horseradish is an important herbal remedy for fall and winter because it increases metabolism and circulation, dissolves accumulated mucus, clears the sinus, warms the body, and drains any mucus that might be hiding. Excess mucus is a breeding ground for colds and bacteria that can cause infections. So moving it out, even if it means spouting snot, is good. Keeping the nasal passages clear of mucus helps prevent sinusitis and sinus infections. Think of horseradish as Drano for the head.
Horseradish is an intensely hot, spicy, pungent root with a spiky taste. What makes this horseradish herbal remedy so good is the addition of sweet apple, which calms the heating effects of the horseradish and makes it palatable!
Get the recipe: Horseradish Herbal Remedy
#3 Fire Cider
At the onset of any head cold, reach for fire cider and the cold never settles in. This herbal remedy for fall and winter contains the benefits of both garlic and horseradish along with other antimicrobial herbs like ginger, onion, and cayenne. Fire cider warms the body, promotes circulation, reduces inflammation, opens the sinus, and clears congestion.
Watch the video linked below and I’ll walk you step-by-step through how to make your own homemade fire cider. Warning: this is one of those herbal medicines that, once you make it and start passing it around, everyone wants it! Once you avert that first cold, you are hooked on fire cider…
Watch the video: Fire Cider Recipe on YouTube
Fire Cider blog post with recipe card
Ready to dive into turning your spice rack into an effective home apothecary? Check out Herbal Kitchen Remedy Solutions
I would love to hear from you! What are your favorite herbal remedies for fall and winter? Have you ever used garlic, horseradish, or fire cider? Please share in the comments below.
thank you, Kami. I love you for your generosity and sweetness. I’m looking forward to going deeper into this.
I have made Fire Cider for years and it is my daily tonic to ward off illness. I also love lomatium tincture which I add if I feel something coming on. Brigham tea helps with allergies and clears my sinus congestion and Nettle tea relieves my arthritis pain which tends to get worse in cold weather.
I’ve never used tamari! Look forward to trying it.
I messed up and put some of the honey in at the beginning of the fire cider. I stopped myself before I put in too much but still there is about a tablespoon of honey in my jar with all the wonderful garlic and horseradish, etc. . So I’m two weeks in and shake the jar daily. I will strain it a little early I think. Do you think I ruined it? I will learn from my mistake and not do it again. But, I’m concerned I may have to dump this batch. What do you think?
It’s fine. Many people put the honey in at the beginning. Let us know how you like it!
I made a big batch of Tamari Garlic 2 yrs ago and still have some left! I haven’t had to make more because it works so well! Thank you so much Kami!
I have garlic in honey as an immune booster, but now will add a jar in tamari!! And it’s time to make another batch of fire cider! thanks and take care
Here in the Sonoran desert we use the plants that grow as an apothecary. For instance, respiratory/flu is stopped before it can start with Creosote tea, a fragrant but bitter taste that takes some getting used to. Also prickly pear juice, bright red and gorgeous mixed with lemon juice, water and honey is yummy to kids and remineralizing to the body. It makes a very tasty and beautiful margarita as well for adults. Eating wolfberry and hackberry on the trail pumps the immune system. Wolfberry, similar somewhat to goji berry is sweeter than hackberry but both are medicinal and can… Read more »
Thank you Kami, I have been making Fire Cider for a few years and have lots of friends that make it now too. Elderberry Syrup has been my go to for colds but I can’t wait to make Tamari Garlic with the garlic I grew this year. Also the horse radish sounds intriguing!!! Thanks for sharing your herbal wisdom!!!
I have some elderberry tincture I just strained and have started some more. We also have fire cider, but I’m planning to start more of that, also. Thanks for the recipes!
I love all these healing remedy ideas – thank you, you have inspired me to try them for myself. I am about to make rosehip oil as I have an abundance in my garden.
Thank you! I am going to try the tamari garlic recipe. And look forward not only to the medicinal garlic, but the brine/sauce that will be terrific for cooking.
So true, the infused tamari is great for stir fry and marinades!
Thank you for sharing these precious and powerful remedies Kami! I’m making calendula oil now from one of your past recipes.