Home Made Oxymel Recipe

A couple weeks ago, I came across this video on YouTube for oxymel and, since I had been trying to find ways to get more apple cider vinegar into my diet, I decided to give it a try. All credit goes to Teresa Boardwine of Green Comfort School of Herbal Medicine.

You might be asking “What is oxymel?”

I was too, so I decided to look it up. Luckily, Heidi at Mountain Rose Herbs had already done the homework for me. The ancient Greek word oxymeli translates to “acid and honey.” The simplest definition is an herbal extraction of vinegar and raw honey. The recipe I tried uses onion and garlic to increase the benefits.

What are the benefits of oxymel?

In 400 B.C.E., in his On Regimen in Acute Diseases, Hippocrates wrote, “You will find the drink, called oxymel, often very useful…for it promotes expectoration and freedom of breathing.” That alone tells me that I want to try it this fall as the “normal” cold and flu seasons hits us in the year of COVID.

In addition to vitamins and antioxidant properties, each of the ingredients in this oxymel each bring something to the party.

• Raw organic apple cider vinegar is high in acetic acid, and contains “mother” strands of proteins, enzymes, and helpful bacteria.
• Honey adds more soothing properties and also provides an extra punch of germ fighting.
• Garlic has been proven to reduce the likelihood of getting a common cold or shorten the duration of one you do get
• Onions contain quercetin giving them antibacterial properties (especially when you keep the skin on)
• Oregano has antibacterial properties and also contains carvacrol and thymol — two compounds in oregano that have been associated with antiviral properties.
• Sage is anti-inflammatory
• Rosemary is also anti-inflammatory and aids in digestion
• Thyme boosts immunity and also has fungicidal properties

Add them all up and this is a power-packed tool against the sniffles this fall.

Ingredients

• 32 oz raw organic apple cider vinegar
• 12 oz raw local honey
• 1 yellow onion (with the skin)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 handful of fresh oregano
• 1 handful of fresh sage
• 1 handful of fresh rosemary
• 1 handful of fresh thyme

Directions

1. Chop onion, chop up the herbs and mince garlic. (note: Teresa left her garlic cloves whole, but I like garlic and wanted more surface area to release as much of its benefits into the mix.)
   
2. Add vinegar and chopped ingredients to a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
   
3. Pour through a strainer into a glass container and add the honey
   
4. Enjoy!
   
5. Bonus points: if you have leftover herbs and some olive oil, you can make infused oil by simply sticking some of the herbs into a bottle and filling it with oil