DIY ~ My All-Natural Nettle Allergy Tonic Recipe

The amazing provision of God is showed in many caring ways to His creation. The fact that He provides the stinging nettle in later winter/early spring is one such act of love. When allergy season is about to flourish in the spring, so does this helpful (though sometimes stinging) plant! When allergy season is about to flourish in the fall, the elderberries are reading for the picking! This easy recipe can be assembled in minutes but must sit and steep for a month. Because of this, I encourage you to get a batch going now if you suffer from seasonal allergies. For best results, you should start taking it a month before spring and autumn allergies start. I have wanted to share this recipe with you earlier (ever since I created it a few years ago) and once again, I missed the boat on timing. This time however, I am going to post it in hopes that it can at least be beneficial in the following season (if you can't get one going now).

To begin, add 1/2 c. rose hips to a clean quart jar. The purpose of the rose hips is to aid in lowering the histamine levels (which is what triggers allergy symptoms) because it is high in vitamin C.

Next, add 1/2 c. of elderberries. Their purpose is to boost the immune system through its vitamin C as well. This includes the flavonoids such as quercetin which is a known allergy remedy and aids in lowering histamine levels also.

The third herb to add would be 1/2 c. nettle. This is "the" allergy herb and another anti-histamine.

Next, add enough raw apple cider vinegar (or you may use vodka which will pull more properties from the herb yet the apple cider vinegar itself is an allergy relief ingredient so the choice is yours) to fill ¾ of the way up the jar.



Finally, fill the remaining 1/4 of the jar with "local, raw honey". The theory behind using "local honey" for allergy symptoms is shared here.

Place a lid firmly on your jar and shake for a few seconds. Let the mixture sit for a month (in a cool, dark area such as your pantry) to infuse. For best results, shake the jar every few days to break up the honey and dissolve it into the tonic. For a more potent infusion, you can blend the ingredients together after 1 week has passed since everything will have softened (and continue to let the liquid infuse until the time is complete). This will break up the herbs further and allow a stronger brew.

When the month is up, strain your tonic/tincture/oxymel through a fine cotton cloth and store in a clean glass jar. This will last in your pantry for 1 year if using the apple cider vinegar and 5 years if using the alcohol.

* Take 1 tsp. ~ 3 times a day. For best results, start taking a month ahead of time (before allergy season) to get your immune system up. This has worked very effectively for me when I am diligent in taking it!

Note: Last year I did the vodka infusion and after needing to do 1 tsp. ~ 3 times a day, I was beginning to feel like an alcoholic! I was thrilled with the ability to use the apple cider vinegar infusion knowing that the apple cider vinegar itself helps to fight allergies. I also feel that the drinking of kombucha has been a blessing in reducing allergies so I encourage you to do some research to see if it would help you.

Also, if you would like to purchase the herbs and are not sure if it is worth buying them in bulk, here are some of the ways we use rose hips (think of this as your go-to vitamin C herb) and elderberries (think of this as your cold and flu fighter) in our home pharmacy. Because of their medicinal benefits, we haven't the need to purchase over the chemically-counter medicine any more.

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*Note: I am not a doctor. While I do seek scientific confirmation of the safety and effectiveness of the herbs and remedies I use, remember that using remedies is a personal decision. Nothing I say on this blog is approved by the FDA or intended to diagnose, treat or prevent disease. All things on this blog are my opinion or the opinion of others. Also, if you have a medical condition, are taking pharmaceutical drugs, or are pregnant, please consult your physician prior to taking herbs.