| Here's a great way to get rid of any lingering winter | | | | Add the mustard seeds, peppercorns and chilies. Stir |
| colds or flus before spring begins -- a spicy herbal | | | | them all together. |
| vinegar tincture. | | | | Pour vinegar over the mixture to fill the jar. There |
| The spicy herbs in this mixture are great for opening | | | | should be about 1 inch of liquid space above the other |
| sinuses and clearing mucus congestion. | | | | ingredients. Cap with a plastic lid (since the vinegar will |
| Apple cider vinegar itself has a long history of use as | | | | corrode a metal lid). Let the mixture sit for 2 weeks |
| a healing elixir. Being both antibiotic and antiseptic it | | | | shaking the bottle daily to mix the herbs and the liquid. |
| helps neutralize toxins in the body. | | | | After two weeks, strain the mixture using cheesecloth |
| Make up a batch of this herbal vinegar tincture and | | | | so that you can squeeze the herbs to extract all of |
| keep it in a cool dark place for as long as 2 years. | | | | the liquid. You're almost done with your herbal vinegar |
| When you're feeling sick pull it out and take 1/2 to 1 | | | | at this point. |
| teaspoon every hour to aid your healing process. | | | | Add the 1/3 cup of honey to help preserve your |
| Are you ready for the recipe? | | | | mixture. Pour into a clean bottle, and label and date it |
| To make 2 cups of herbal vinegar tincture you will | | | | before storing it away in your cupboard. |
| need: | | | | IMPORTANT: Use a plastic lid OR a piece of plastic |
| -3 Tablespoons each of the following: | | | | bag under a metal lid when making an herbal vinegar. |
| - minced onion and garlic | | | | The vinegar reacts to metal. |
| - grated fresh ginger and horseradish (you can buy | | | | About the herbs in the herbal vinegar... |
| both these roots in the produce section of your | | | | Herbalist Stephen Buhner writes, " No other herb |
| grocery store) | | | | comes close to the multiple system actions of garlic, its |
| - mustard seeds and black peppercorns | | | | antibiotic activity, and its immune-potentiating power." |
| -1 or more whole cayenne chilies (or 1 tsp. dried chili | | | | Indeed, garlic is antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, |
| flakes) | | | | antiparasitic, antifungal, and immune-stimulating. |
| -about 1 cup of vinegar | | | | Best used fresh and raw, bruising or crushing a glove |
| -1/3 cup of honey | | | | of garlic releases allicin, the compound most |
| To make the herbal vinegar, mince the onion and garlic | | | | responsible for its antibiotic action. |
| and put in a 1 pint jar. | | | | Most of us are not to keen on eating raw cloves of |
| Grate the ginger and horseradish and add them to the | | | | garlic, so this vinegar gives us an alternative way to |
| jar. | | | | get the healing power of garlic into our bodies. |