There’s tons of talk about boosting our immunity these days. At the same time, panic buying has created scarcity around some of my favorite immune boosting supplements. Luckily, some potent immune boosters live right in our kitchen!
Benefits
Garlic is the star of this recipe, and has been regarded as a powerful immune aid and antiviral forever. I like to chop up a clove and swallow like a pill with water when I’m feeling run down, but that can sometimes be hard on sensitive stomachs or picky eaters. This immune honey is a great workaround, and boasts even more potency with the addition of cayenne, ginger, and raw honey!
Ingredients
1 whole head of garlic
1 2.5-inch knob of ginger
1tsp-1T cayenne powder to taste (the cayenne will mellow in time. I like a strong spice, but it’s an acquired taste!)
Raw honey (important that it is raw)
Recipe
Peel the entire head of garlic, and press all the garlic through a garlic press (you can also fine chop it if you don’t have a garlic press). Set this aside in a bowl for 10-15 minutes. This act is important here: it allows the garlic to release an enzyme reaction where an enzyme called allicin is released and boosts the healthy compounds found in raw garlic. While that sits, peel the ginger (I use the edge of a spoon to slide the skin off), fine chop it, and set aside. Once garlic has sat for 10-15 minutes, put garlic, ginger, and cayenne into a clean jar with room to add honey. Add honey to cover the spices by about ½ inch. Stir everything with a clean spoon, put the lid on the jar, and set it inside a dark cabinet to infuse. You can let this infuse for as little as 3 dates, or longer for a week or more.
This recipe will keep at room temperature. The honey mellows the bite of the garlic out, and can be taken medicinally by the spoonful as a preventative aid to boost immunity, or when you’re feeling sick and symptomatic. Great for sore throat, too. It’s also a nice addition to salad dressings, pasta, pizza, soups, or anywhere you might want to add garlic with a little sweetness. Traditional herbal home remedies always originated in the kitchen, and were never just used as supplements separate from our nutrition. Whole food remedies are a good place to start when building immunity and resilience! Get creative and stay well!