Vegetarian

Flu Proofing Garlic and Lemon Tea

submitted by By Rilla Giles



<p><em>Thanks to Mothering reader Rilla Giles for this tincture recipe.</em></p>

Some folks swear that when they eat a raw garlic clove for breakfast every day, the never get colds or the flu. Straight garlic is too spicy for children (and most adults), but try this garlic and lemon tea to keep the flu at bay. Parsley deodorizes the garlic, and contributes a little Vitamin A.

1 small garlic clove, finely minced and mashed with
½ tsp honey
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1 tsp spearmint, peppermint or sage leaves
1 to 2 tsp finely minced parsley leaves


<p>Put the garlic mashed with honey (the garlic should almost disappear) into a teacup with the lemon juice. Put the leaves in a strainer and pour boiling water over it an into the cup. Cap the cup with a saucer and let the tea steep for several minutes. Remove the saucer and strainer.</p> <p>For flavor variety, sometimes use mint, sometimes sage. Sage has life-giving properties of it&rsquo;s own. Mint must be drunk the day it is made, but sage tea keeps at room temperature for a couple of days.</p> <p>A more effective way to use garlic for it's medicinal value is to make a garlic tincture with apple cider vinegar ( which has AMAZING health benefits on it's own) and raw grated or crushed garlic in a mason jar, put a whole bulb, peeled and crushed/grated, add ACV just enough to cover the garlic and allow it to steep for 2 weeks in a dark cupboard, shaking daily. Strain the garlic pulp, and squeeze out all the ACV from the garlic pulp and bottle and store the tincture in a dark bottle or a paper bag in dark cupboard if using a clear jar . Add a few drops to cold fruit juice or water drinks three times a day for preventative measures. A daily dose will help to keep away nasty bugs.</p>