10+ Herbal Cold & Flu Remedies to Make for Your Fall/Winter Pantry

"Bless your heart, child, it's to keep you well. You don't want to be sick, do you?"... Change of air and care will keep you well, I dare say, or if it does not entirely, you will have the fever more lightly..."

~ Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Time to stock your fall/winter pantry with herbal remedies and preventative foods! Including your children will not only ensure that you share quality and productive time together, but it will also encourage interest in the arts of natural healing. Some of these recipes should be started now as they require time to "infuse". I will put a note next to those items. The remaining projects can be prepared with you and your junior herbalists in as little as 30 minutes! What a blessing it will be to have a nice array of herbal goods come cold and flu season! 

Calendula Cold and Flu Elixir and/or Oxymel

{requires 1 month to macerate}

DIY Frugal Version of On Guard® or Thieves® Protective Oil Blend

{requires 2 - 4 weeks to infuse}

No-Side-Effect Cough Syrup

Elderberry Infused Herbal Honey

{requires 2 weeks to infuse}

Vapor Rub

Elderberry Oxymel

{needs 2-4 weeks to infuse}

"Get Well Soon" Spray

Elderberry Throat Spray

{requires tincture recipe below}



Elderberry Tincture

{needs 1 month to macerate}

Pooh's Medicinal Herbal Honey

Elderberry Scrap Syrup

{make this thrifty syrup with your leftover, recycled elderberries from the other recipes}

And remember, when it comes to herbal remedies, more frequent doses are necessary. Unlike over-the-counter medicine which seems to give relief in one pill (though it is only a "bandaid" of the symptoms), the natural route requires constant nurturing to gently heal and strengthen the immune system. I often implement many of these remedies at one time for good results. I will take the tinctures and/or oxymel every few hours, apply the rub liberally around the neck and chest, drink lots of herbal tea with herbal honey and spray down the rooms to sanitize the air, doorknobs and faucets. We also run our diffuser with appropriate essential oils, administer the colloidal silver spray when necessary, take lots of vitamin C and rest, rest, rest. Do you have any tips to share?

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