Recipe: Allergy Ease Spring Tonic

It’s that time of year, when the flowers are opening all around us, spring greens sprout up in our woods and gardens, the weather gets more mild, and for some, the allergy symptoms begin, or come on full force. Fortunately there are some great tools in the natural world for helping alleviate these uncomfortable symptoms so you can enjoy springtime more. Below, you’ll find my recipe for a ginger-nettle-lemon spring tonic that can be made hot, or cold with sparkling water.

Ginger tea or fresh juice – approximately 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger (or 1 heaping tsp dry) or approximately 1 Tbsp of fresh juice.
Lemon juice, preferably freshly-squeezed – approximately 1/2 lemon or more to taste.

Raw local honey – approx 1-2 tsp to taste
Nettle Glycerite – 2 dropperfuls (approximately 50 drops)
Oregon grape Glycerite – 1 dropperful (approximately 25 drops)

If making tea, gently simmer fresh or dry ginger root in 2 cups of water with lid on for 10 mins, then strain. Add honey, lemon juice, and herbal glycerites to a mug of the ginger tea and drink warm. Or, the tea can be cooled to room temperature and other ingredients added. A large batch can be made and stored in the refrigerator for daily consumption also.

If using ginger juice, you can add all ingredients to 8-12 oz of hot or sparkling water and mix well.

Drink 2-3 cups daily to help stave off allergy symptoms.

Helpful benefits of these ingredients:

Ginger root – anti-inflammatory and supportive for the immune system as the oils in the root contain some antimicrobial benefits. Also a wonderful digestive system support herb.

Raw local honey – high in minerals and some flower pollens that can help the body not be so reactive to pollen that is inhaled.

Lemon juice – high in vitamin C, flavonoids, and supports gentle liver detoxifcation.

Nettle leaf – alkaline, high in minerals, and has antihistamine properties that can help prevent and ease allergy symptoms.

Oregon grape root – bitter digestive aid, containing berberine that can help reduce inflammation and swelling in the sinuses and mucosal membranes.

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Sweet Medicine: Herbal Glycerite Extracts

Liquid extracts, often called “tinctures,” are a convenient and effective way to take herbal remedies.

Alcohol is the most oft-used medium to extract, as it is effective in various percentages in pulling out a variety of water-soluble and fat-soluble constituents from the plant, as well as being a powerful preservative. However, there are instances where alcohol is not desirable, either because of its pungent taste or not being appropriate for a certain population. For that, we do have the option for some herbs to be consumed as a “glycerite,” a vegetable-glycerine extracted tincture.

Vegetable glycerine is the clear, sweet, viscous liquid that is a bi-product of the soap-making industry, and due to its chemical make-up does extract an array of water-soluble constituents, and some fat-soluble constituents as well. Because of their sweet taste, these glycerites can be administered straight to pets by squeezing into their mouth, or given to children either straight or in a bit of liquid. It is often a way to add sweetness to an herbal blend, and some herbs taste quite delicious as a glycerite.

For example, in the pictures above, the pink liquid is Rose Glycerite, and it captures the floral nature of rose petals perfectly. Mixed in blends to add a floral note, or for supporting the emotional heart in times of grief or sadness, this glycerite is a favorite of our herbalists here at Herban Wellness. The bottle with the dark red liquid contains Schisandra Glycerite, which is one of my absolute favorite herbs in this form. Schisandra berry is called the “five flavor fruit” because of its complex flavor profile of sour, pungent, bitter, salty, and sweet, and it has an adaptogenic effect on the adrenal glands and the stress response, making it a valuable ally for stress relief, recovery, and for energy levels. The sweetness of the vegetable glycerine makes this berry much more palatable, and downright tasty, even when consumed by itself directly in the mouth.

Other herbs pictured in their glycerite form above are Lemon balm, which makes a sweet, slightly lemony, slightly herbaceous liquid for calming the nervous system and is often used in formulas for children to help calm or relax. Nettle Glycerite is a green, herbaceous extract that can help soothe allergy symptoms due to its anti-inflammatory and antihistamine effects. So this glycerite is nice added to tea, juice, a tonic, or smoothie for its effects. Ginger Glycerite is the golden-yellow liquid above, and is delicious added to sparkling water or lemon water while on the go for its anti-nausea, stomach calming, and anti-inflammatory properties.

We have created a couple glycerite blends that are entirely alcohol-free for children, that can also be used by adults that don’t want to take alcohol. We can also customize fully alcohol-free blends, even though our selection of glycerites is lower than that of alcohol-tinctures. The reason for this is that many plants do not extract as well in vegetable glycerine. However, we can work with you to find what will work best if it is your desire to avoid alcohol entirely. We also regularly create herbal blends for a specific reason using a combination of glycerites and tinctures, for flavor and potency.

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