The Master Tonic - Page 4

[serenbat]

I used Bragg's a few months ago, but didn't refrigerate it

according to the company you are NOT to refrigerate it, just keep it out of direct sunlight and shake it prior to using it, it has a shelf life of 5 years

I have been using it with no problems at all, still tastes the same

[Sihaya]

So funny to find this thread today when I've been reading the TF forum here forever, but heard about Master Tonic on another board about a month ago I made it and it was finished a couple of weeks ago. I took it to clear up my persistent sore throat/earache that I seem to have 8 months out of the year. I had to take it a few times a day for several days, but it eventually did the trick and I love the taste. :

Originally Posted by pixiepunk

ah, i had to LOL at this thread. i've been researching this tonic on my own for the past two weeks after reading about it on an organic chicken-keepers list (it's great for chicken immune systems too, apparently).

Could you share some basic info or PM me some links? I have been researching adding plain raw acv to our chickens' water, but it never occured to me to give them the Master Tonic. I have tons of leftover ingredients from making it for us, so it would be no problem to make more for our ladies.

[Aubergine68]

Subbing...

Hey, what do you think would happen if I used pure, but jarred, horseradish? I love horseradish, but haven't been able to find it fresh. If you couldn't find fresh, would you leave it out or go with the jarred?

Originally Posted by velcromom

Well I made some today but didn't have fresh horseradish... I did have garlic and onion from my garden and picked up ginger and pepper while I was out. I am going against the moon phase advice, oops. I though it smelled alright, after I stopped crying from the onion, lol, but we'll see how brave I am when the time comes to try it!

So what is the moon phase advice?

Start it on the new and it's ready to drink on the full?

[amcal]

Originally Posted by sunshinestarr

I'm confused about how to make this. What recipe is everyone using?

I'm excited to try it!

There's a link to the recipe on the first page of this thread
http://www.its-my-health.com/documents/MasterTonic.pdf

[amcal]

Originally Posted by Aubergine68

Subbing...

Hey, what do you think would happen if I used pure, but jarred, horseradish? I love horseradish, but haven't been able to find it fresh. If you couldn't find fresh, would you leave it out or go with the jarred?



So what is the moon phase advice?

Start it on the new and it's ready to drink on the full?

The recipe specifies fresh so, I'm not sure?

I don't get the whole moon phase but, in the link to the recipe posted, it says you should make it on the new moon and strain it on the full moon.

I didn't follow the moon cycles when making mine.

[sunshinestarr]

Originally Posted by amcal

There's a link to the recipe on the first page of this thread
http://www.its-my-health.com/documents/MasterTonic.pdf

Der! Thanks! How did I miss this??

[sunshinestarr]

This would still be beneficial with heated ACV, no? I'm going to assume so and try it out.. I've never seen raw here.. (Heinz isn't raw, right? I'm assuming not)..

[pixiepunk]

Originally Posted by Sihaya

So funny to find this thread today when I've been reading the TF forum here forever, but heard about Master Tonic on another board about a month ago I made it and it was finished a couple of weeks ago. I took it to clear up my persistent sore throat/earache that I seem to have 8 months out of the year. I had to take it a few times a day for several days, but it eventually did the trick and I love the taste. :


Could you share some basic info or PM me some links? I have been researching adding plain raw acv to our chickens' water, but it never occured to me to give them the Master Tonic. I have tons of leftover ingredients from making it for us, so it would be no problem to make more for our ladies.

sent you a PM, but thought i'd share the basics in case there are other chicken mamas out there who are interested

i read on this yahoo group that i'm on that lots of folks who raise chickens without vaccines and who use organic feed and free range their birds and such give them this tonic as a preventative during the times when illness is most likely. also give it to chicks to keep them healthy since chicks are so prone to illness. a tablespoon per quart of water as a preventative was what was recommended, more if there is actual illness in the flock that you're trying to kick. apparently they don't taste hotness so it's not a problem on that level.

i also give my chickens kefir a few times a week - they love it, and they always lay more eggs on keir days. great source of protein and calcium, plus an immune booster. that was a tip i learned on that list as well

[Junegoddess]

Originally Posted by amcal

Ooh! I'd love to hear more about the honey pickled garlic cloves. Any idea how to do this? I googled but couldn't find any info...

This is the basic idea, as I remember it. It was a really popular idea about... oh... 7 or 8 years ago. I am still friends with some of those herby women, so I'm going to ask them specifically what they did. If it's different, I'll post an update.

I know several of my herby friends made extra garlic-in-honey, for their own personal munching. The remedy is supposed to just be the garlic-infused honey... but they love munching the cloves themselves, once they've mellowed and softened in the honey for a while.

[amcal]

Awesome! Thank you so much And thank you to Pinky for the info as well.

I have a jar of ginger honey and a jar of garlic honey going right now. My house smells fantastic!

[Feb2003]

Originally Posted by sunshinestarr

This would still be beneficial with heated ACV, no? I'm going to assume so and try it out.. I've never seen raw here.. (Heinz isn't raw, right? I'm assuming not)..

raw acv will have active cultures in it. AFAIK Heinz isn't really acv...not sure if it's been heated to kill the culture OR if it's just flavored.

can you buy kombucha? maybe fermenting it in that would work since it has live cultures.

or buy acv from amazon? health food store?

[sunshinestarr]

Originally Posted by Feb2003

raw acv will have active cultures in it. AFAIK Heinz isn't really acv...not sure if it's been heated to kill the culture OR if it's just flavored.

can you buy kombucha? maybe fermenting it in that would work since it has live cultures.

or buy acv from amazon? health food store?

I asked on a local list about where to find raw ACV.. I think I've decided that I'm going to try to make it myself! Although I do have kombucha.. I didn't think of using that!

[Feb2003]

you know, I was also thinking that acv has a lot of health benefits, but it's only ONE part of the master tonic. I'm sure that lacto-fermented peppers, onions, horseradish, ginger and garlic without acv would still have amazing healing properties! (I guess with a brine) Another poster left out one of the ingredients when she couldn't find it...maybe the acv could just be left out???

[sunshinestarr]

Originally Posted by Feb2003

you know, I was also thinking that acv has a lot of health benefits, but it's only ONE part of the master tonic. I'm sure that lacto-fermented peppers, onions, horseradish, ginger and garlic without acv would still have amazing healing properties! (I guess with a brine) Another poster left out one of the ingredients when she couldn't find it...maybe the acv could just be left out???

But what would you use to ferment it?

Also, how long do you all think the the honey and garlic will keep?

[Feb2003]

Originally Posted by sunshinestarr

But what would you use to ferment it?

Also, how long do you all think the the honey and garlic will keep?

You can use a brine as the liquid and then the natural bacteria on the veggies will start the ferment...just like kim chi or saurkraut in Wild Fermentation. I actually make Jalapeno En Escabeche (I *think* that's what it's called...) that's fermented jalapenos, carrots, cauliflower, onions, and garlic that we eat as a condiment.

I've never done the garlic honey, but I would think that since there is very little water in the garlic it'd last a while...honey alone is very shelf stable.

[sunshinestarr]

Originally Posted by Feb2003

You can use a brine as the liquid and then the natural bacteria on the veggies will start the ferment...just like kim chi or saurkraut in Wild Fermentation. I actually make Jalapeno En Escabeche (I *think* that's what it's called...) that's fermented jalapenos, carrots, cauliflower, onions, and garlic that we eat as a condiment.

I've never done the garlic honey, but I would think that since there is very little water in the garlic it'd last a while...honey alone is very shelf stable.

Thanks!!

[Feb2003]

Originally Posted by sunshinestarr

Thanks!!

No problem!

It's taken me a long time to get from nervously following fermenting recipes exactly (lest I kill us all...just ask my MIL!) to just winging it and following the general guide for ingredients. So I guess I was just pointing out that I think it'd be better to have a ferment of all those immune-supporting ingredients without the acv than to have nothing...might as well get started and then continue your quest for raw acv while your first batch ferments

[Holiztic]

I don't know a whole lot about Traditional Chinese Medicine, but this sounds like a seriously warming tonic, wouldn't it be considered very yang? If so, wouldn't there be contra-indications? Like someone already with excessive yang? Or during illnesses that are characterized by excessive yang? I see why its good for colds, but what about taking it daily (as it sounds some of you are doing??)

I really truly don't know much about TCM, just enough to ask this question. Anyone else know more?

Thanks!

[pixiepunk]

Originally Posted by Holiztic

I don't know a whole lot about Traditional Chinese Medicine, but this sounds like a seriously warming tonic, wouldn't it be considered very yang? If so, wouldn't there be contra-indications? Like someone already with excessive yang? Or during illnesses that are characterized by excessive yang? I see why its good for colds, but what about taking it daily (as it sounds some of you are doing??)

I really truly don't know much about TCM, just enough to ask this question. Anyone else know more?

Thanks!

i don't know much about chinese medicine either, but know a fair amount about ayurveda, which has similarities from what i understand. certainly for someone who was a predominantly pitta constitution (fire) it would not be a good thing to take regularly, especially in warm weather. but for someone who was predominantly kapha (earth) or vatta (air) constitution, it would probably be a great daily tonic. it really is dependent on your constitution. i think it would be fine for any constitution if the person were ill, though. it is likely that someone who shouldn't take it every day wouldn't feel good taking it regularly, so it would probably work itself out. i imagine someone like me who has pretty much zero pitta in my constitution could easily take it daily. it's why i love hot and spicy foods, it adds heat to my very un-fiery constitution. most people who are heavily pitta don't enjoy spicey food and often get stomach upset from food with lots of pitta, so the tonic would be likely be something they would force down when sick rather than one they would relish taking every day.

[Aubergine68]

I have my first batch of master tonic started. I have totally been craving the horseradish, so I did add some jarred horseradish in vinegar only to one jar, because I have not yet found fresh. And, I've been eating horseradish sauce with everything -- seems to be helping the sinuses. I MUST finally get around to growing it in the garden next year!

I also did a couple of jars of garlic cloves in honey. Really looking forward to this!

Originally Posted by amcal

I have a jar of ginger honey and a jar of garlic honey going right now. My house smells fantastic!

May I ask how you did the ginger honey? Is it ok to just peel and slice the ginger and top it off with honey the same way as the garlic cloves are done, or do you need to do something different with it?

I googled and found recipes for pickled sushi ginger made with vinegar and honey and for ginger honey cough syrup I totally want to make both of these. I think they'd make great Christmas gifts!

However, I have some lovely honey and I want to maximize the health benefits of the unpasturized honey and the raw ginger without boiling/blanching it, if I can get away with that.

I guess I'm not at the point where I'm ready to wing it, yet!