How to Make Your Own Herbal and Other Types of Medicinal Syrups

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How to Make Medicinal Syrup

Ingredients:

1 Ounce of the dried herb of your choice (or a mixture of herbs)
16 Ounces (2 cups) of pure water
8 Ounces (1 cup) of raw organic honey
2 Ounces of brandy (flavored or plain) alternately, if you have made some herbal tincture previously, you can use 2 ounces of that. The alcohol in the brandy or tincture will help to keep the syrup stable over time.
Essential oil for aroma (optional)

Instructions:

Place the water and herbs in a pot and simmer over a low heat (do not boil) until the liquid is half of the original amount. This might take 30 to 45 minutes, so be patient.
When you have 1 cup of liquid in the pot, strain into another clean pot. Use a cheesecloth rather than a sieve
Add the honey.
Warm over very low heat, stirring until everything is mixed together well. Do not boil and do not heat over 110 degrees or you will kill off the healthy agents in the mixture
Add your brandy or tincture and mix well.
Add two or three drops of essential oil, such as peppermint or spearmint for a nice smell. This is optional, however. Stir well.
Pour into a glass container with a tight fitting lid or cork top bottle.
Store in the refrigerator. This should keep for about 6 months.
If you make more than one type of syrup, label the bottles so you won’t forget which is which.

Dried herbs and flowers begin to lose their potency about 6 to 8 months after they have been dried and exposure to bright lights or sunlight will make them deteriorate even faster, so always look for really fresh herbs. A good quality herb or health food store will list an expiration date or a date when the flowers were picked so you will know you are buying fresh quality herbs and flowers.

References:

Pennstatehershey.adam.com

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