Kitchen Witch Cold Soothing Recipes - Honey Fermentation
As I find myself feeling the cold symptoms progressed by my seasonal allergies (coughing, sore throat), I figured I would share two recipes I use that help speed up the recovery process and soothe the unsavoury symptoms.
- raw, unfiltered, unpasteurised honey
- mason jar / jar with easily removed lid (glass!!)
Start out by peeling all of the cloves in the head of garlic, then gently bruising and busting them open with the flat side of a knife or the back of a pestle. Let them rest for around 5 minutes. Add to your jar, and add enough honey to just cover them.
As the honey and garlic sit, a fermentation will start and you will notice small bubbles forming, pressure in your jar, and that the honey becomes very very thin (as opposed to the natural thick viscosity). Flip and “bother” your jar every day and release pressure build up. I generally just keep a jar of fermenting garlic honey always, just adding more honey and garlic as I get low.
Both honey and garlic have incredible natural medicinal properties. Garlic is antibiotic in nature and has been used for numerous generations in medicine. Sulfurus compounds, one of which being allicin, are produced when the cloves are crushed or chopped - these are linked to biological well being and combatting sickness. Amongst other benefits, such as good cholesterol health and lowering your blood pressure naturally, garlic is just overall very good for you. Honey as well is antibiotic in nature, and offers a sweet soothing feeling to any raw throat.
Raw garlic on its own is very pungent and relatively unbearable to eat completely raw. Fermented garlic in honey completely loses its bite and gains a sweetness, making it a lot more bearable to consume. Either eat the garlic cloves directly or consume a tablespoon of the honey when your throat starts feeling sore and continue throughout your cold.
- one medium/large ginger root, peeled and cut into chunks
- raw, unfiltered, unpasteurised honey
- mason jar / jar with lid that is easily removed (glass!!)
Start by peeling and cutting the ginger into chunks before crushing it with the back end of a pestle to bruise and break up. Put into your jar and cover with enough honey to cover it. Follow the same agitation steps as previously noted in the honey fermented ginger recipe.
This mixture will also get very thin, exhibit bubbles, and produce considerable pressure while fermenting as ginger is very active. I generally also just keep a jar of this mixture going year round, adding more as necessary.
Ginger is not only good for colds - it has anti inflammatory properties (headaches, muscle soreness, arthritis, etc) and aids in nausea treatment, as well as promoting good heart and circulatory system health.
Ginger is a little easier to consume raw, but still has a considerable bite - fermenting in honey mellows the strong flavour and softens it a touch, enough to be eaten out of the jar. I like adding a tablespoon or two of the ginger honey to my hot tea (or just mixing it into boiling water and consuming that) as it helps soothe the throat. Follow the same suggestions for consumption as the honey fermented garlic, or get creative with your consumption.
Both of these recipes are are really easy, and I find they help considerably in bringing me back to my full healthy glory.
Blessed be my witch friends ✨
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