Lemon Ginger and Sage Cold and Cough Syrup
(shared by permission of Quarto Publishing Group and author Stephanie Bruneau)

 

Combine honey with the healing properties in lemon, ginger, and sage, and you’ve got a natural, delicious way to treat cold and flu symptoms. Sage has been used in medicine in cultures around the world for centuries. The herb is antibacterial and antispasmodic, making this syrup a great choice for a cough at bedtime. This syrup can be swallowed straight from a spoon or stirred into hot water or tea.

This recipe is very flexible. Add more ingredients for larger jars or for a stronger syrup. Try substituting orange slices for the lemon, or cloves for the sage (cloves are a great choice, as they are an expectorant and antiviral!).

 

Yield: 1 cup (about 200 g)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 lemon

1 teaspoon ground ginger or 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

6 to 8 fresh sage leaves

½ cup (170 g) honey
(or enough to fill the jar)

 

Directions:

 

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Slice lemon into thin half-moon shapes. Add half of the slices to a half-pint jar, then add half of the ginger and sage, then half of the honey.

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Stir with a chopstick or other long, thin object. Move citrus slices around to make sure the honey
runs between them.

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Repeat with remaining ingredients, then stir and top off with more honey if necessary to fill the jar.

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Within 3 or 4 hours the honey will have drawn the juices out of the other ingredients.

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Give it a stir to combine the honey and juice. The thick honey will have transformed into a lovely syrup, which will get stronger with time.

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Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Note: Sage should not be used when pregnant or breastfeeding