Herbal Prep - Making Cold and Flu Tea w/recipe

This is a tea blend I developed over the years, that works amazingly well to heal watery colds and also most flu strains...as well as strep throat.

Myself and our youngest daughter have mold allergies, so we cannot take most antibiotics, at all. This tends to leave western medicine at a loss, and going to a doctor almost pointless. Sometimes it can help to get a diagnoses, but then they are stumped and send us home...at which point I dredge out the herb books and do hours of my own research to create a medicinal tea.

At any rate, this is the tea I have developed which works for most all mucous prone colds and flu...and it works well. Every fall I have a waiting list of friends who swear by it too...and I end up making pounds of it so everyone has enough for the winter. There was a point where I was making enough to sell, but not any more. It seems far better to just share the recipe now.

This is a complex, 2 part tea...

I mix each part separately, and jar or bag them separately so they can be prepared correctly. (please check the actions and constituents of all herbs individually, to be sure they will not react to the person, or with other medications one may be taking)

Part 1... is a 15 - 20 minute decoction

This will have all of the root and rhizome, as well as rose hips and other dried berries.

The recipe blend goes like this

4 Parts Echinacea angustifolia

4 Parts Rose Hips

2 Parts Elder Berries

1 Part Marshmallow root

1/2 Part Horehound

1 T Goldenseal Powder per quart jar of dried herb (I usually add this last, in a baggie and shake it up)

Part 2... is an infusion. Once the decoction is made, I add part 2 to it and infuse for 15 minutes. For this tea, I leave the herbs in the tea, and strain as we take cups. I usually make a gallon or two when we start getting symptoms, and it will last in the fridge for about 3 - 5 days.

4 Parts Chamomile

2 Parts Elder Flower

1 Part Echinacea purpurea

1 Part Mullein

1 Part Mint (we prefer spearmint, but peppermint will do as well...or a blend)

1/2 Part Lavender

1/2 Part Yarrow leaf

1/2 Part Hops (only if there is a spasmodic cough)

To Prepare

Fill a soup pot with a gallon of water...add 3 T part 1, and cover. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Add 1 1/2 C of part 2,,,allow to simmer for 30 seconds or so to be sure all the herbs are covered in the water, then cover and turn the heat off. Let this steep for at least 15 minutes before drinking. Once the tea is cooled, put in the fridge. We usually scoop out what we need to drink into a small sauce pan to warm it later. NEVER microwave herbal tea!

We add either plain honey, or Osha (bear root) honey to our cups...but you can decide...and we drink about 3 cups a day. Children, about 3 half cups a day.

This tea has a 'distinct' flavor, hehe. We always get a kick out of the tea face people make the first time they taste it...but it actually grows on you. When we start to feel ill, we now crave it when it is the tea we need.

That is all for now, thanks for reading...I hope you enjoyed!