Making An Immune Boosting Elixir

I was recently given some beautiful books on foraging and apothecary garden recipes ( possibly two of my most favourite things.) I just love making really natural remedies for the winter months and one recipe caught my eye, and I would really like to share it with you.

Elixir no 9, an immune boosting, anti viral, anti inflammatory, decongestant, antioxidant and antibacterial remedy. Or as I call it “ a cure for all!” ( Book title: The apothecary garden by Christine Iverson)

This will blow your socks off and kick just about any nasty into touch. Once made it will keep for up to a year and needs to be made before the dreaded winter bugs arrive as it takes 4 weeks to rest and infuse before it’s ready.

I grew a lot of the ingredients myself and made my own apple cider vinegar, and picked the rest up locally and bought organic.

Ingredients

800 ml of apple cider vinegar.

50g grated root ginger ( hot tip! peel ginger by scraping the skin off with a teaspoon)

50g of horseradish root grated ( swimming goggles may be required!)

50g of fresh Turmeric ( if you can’t buy local it’s available online but wear gloves when handling this otherwise you will be like me and have yellow fingers!)

1 medium size onion chopped

4 Garlic cloves grated

2 chillies ( hot hot hot!)

2 Lemons, zest and juice

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

Large Kilner type jar

Method

Prep the ingredients and put them in the jar, add lemon juice and cider vinegar and give it a shake. Keep in a cool dark place for 4 weeks .

Strain through a muslin, squeeze and bottle in to clean bottles and date and label. A tablespoon can be taken when you feel a cold creeping up on you or take for coughs and other winter nasties. Or it can be diluted in warm water and add honey!

Really simple natural recipe that once you have tried you will never go a winter without it again!