This past week has been hot. At 80 degrees, it feels like we are at the end of summer, rather than in the middle of fall and it’s completely throwing me for a loop. It reminds me distressingly of last winter, when it was 60 degrees on Christmas. With weather like this, I just have no idea what to expect. When we got back from Japan, the weather was consistently cool and I joyfully pulled out the sweaters from cedar chest and prepared for glorious Sweater Weather. I’d already organized plans for fall and winter immunity building with making a honey and ginger tincture but I’m beginning to wonder if it’s all for naught.

In the end, I suppose it’s still better to be over-prepared than underprepared.

Ginger has always been something I’ve loved; it’s a spicy flavor that I just can’t get enough of. Mind you, I’m not into all things spicy, in fact I hate most hot sauces- mainly due to the fact that their main component is white vinegar- and I don’t like things being hot simply for the sake of being hot, but I love flavor. Ginger has a wonderful flavor. I’ve used it before in healing drinks, like my Garlic + Ginger + Lemon Elixir and I simply can’t get enough of it!

While studies on the benefits of ginger have been relatively limited, it has been found to help with nausea and is suggested to help with inflammation and pain. While it does appear to have antioxidant constituents, more evidence is needed to see whether it is properly available to the body once it has been consumed.

Realistically, I’m quite aware of the fact that the evidence is limited, however in my own experience with using ginger juice for sickness I’ve found it to help substantially. In the end if push comes to shove, I’ll admit defeat to the fact that I simply love the taste, especially in this tincture, which does nothing to dilute or take away from the ginger flavor. The honey adds a delicious sweetness and I haven’t found the brandy to negatively affect it either! This fall I’ve been using this tincture daily, in the hopes to help build up my immune system and add to my preventative care routine.

Fresh Ginger & Honey Tincture

1 Part Fresh Ginger Juice*
1 Part Local Honey
1 Part Brandy

*Ginger Juice:
For this recipe, I juiced up 1 pound of young ginger and ended up with a cup and a half of juice. Start with juicing your ginger first to determine how much honey and brandy you will need.

Mix the ginger juice, honey and brandy together- the honey will take a while to mix in so I would recommend shaking it up in a lidded jar. Store jar in a dark space until ready for use, or if you have small tincture bottles and droppers, transfer into these containers.

I typically consume about 1-2 teaspoons of this mixture a day- shake before using it!