Knock Out the Winter Ick With a Warm Cup of This DIY Home Remedy

It is officially cold and flu season here in Indiana. The "crud" as I call it, is going around, and let's be real - none of us have time to be sick. I mean, PTO is meant for adventures and fun, not aches, stuffy noses and tissues, right?!

The "Crud" Got You Feeling a Little Woorn Down?

So what do you do when you feel the "crud" creeping in? If you're like me, you can usually feel it when it's first coming on. I get a little ache in the back of my neck and I usually feel just a little worn down right before a sickness like a sinus infection, cold, or even the flu or Covid really grab hold.

No Eye of Newt or Wing of Bat in This "Witch Tea"

When I feel those telltale signs, I immediately whip up a batch of what I affectionately call my "witch tea" to stave it off. While there is no eye of newt or wing of bat that goes into my pot, I always experience a bit of nostalgia of being a little girl mixing "magic potions" made of dirt, sticks, grass, dandelions, honeysuckle, and the like in a bucket of water the backyard. (If you never pretended to mix potions as a little kid, you sorely missed out, my friend lol)

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"Witch Tea" Is Meant to Be Shared with Friends

We were supposed to meet up with some friends this weekend for our regular hang-out over coffee at one of our favorite local spots. Unfortunately, the "crud" made itself at home with our friends and we had to postpone our coffee date. However, I immediately offered to make some of my "witch tea" in hopes of helping them feel better.

Magic Ingredients for My "Witch Tea"

When I was making it, I snapped a photo of some of the ingredients to share on Facebook and captioned it, "Making a little kitchen witch magic to help a friend feel better." Several people commented asking for my recipe, and I thought I would share it here in case it might help someone else feel better.

How To Make "Witch Tea" to Help You (or a Friend) Feel Better Fast

Below you will find the ingredients and instructions to make the "witch tea" that I use as a home remedy when I'm not feeling well.

**DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. If you are sick, visit your nearest medical professional. This is just an at-home remedy that I have found that works well for me. Your results may vary, and obviously, do not make this if you suffer from any kind of allergies to any of the ingredients. **

READ MORE: H5N1 aka Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Found in Indiana

"Witch Tea" Ingredients:

• 3 quarts cold water
• 3-6 tea bags of choice: I usually use green tea and recently have started adding peppermint tea as well. I have also used herbal tea blends like you can find at the store. I look for ones that are labeled to soothe the throat, quell a cough, or boost the immune system. These usually have ingredients like licorice root and echinacea.
• 1 large orange - washed and either sliced or just cut in half. I do not peel these. The rind or skin of citrus fruits is full of vitamins and minerals,
• 1 large lemon - washed and either sliced or just cut in half. Again, skin on.
• 1 piece of fresh ginger (about palm-sized) - washed (rinse with cold water to rinse off any dirt residue, rub with fingers or soft vegetable brush), and sliced, chopped, or grated. If you plan to grate it, tossing it in the freezer first can make that a simple process. I do not personally bother with removing the skin from the ginger, but you can if you'd like.
• 1 piece of fresh turmeric - washed (rinse with cold water to rinse off any dirt residue, rub with fingers or soft vegetable brush) and sliced, chopped, or grated. Again, personal preference here, and like the ginger I do not bother removing the skin.
• 1 teaspoon of cloves
• Pinch of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
• Local honey, maple syrup or sweetener of choice.

"Witch Tea" Instructions

1. In a large pot, add your cold water and tea bags.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Add in the orange and lemon - all of it. Rind and all. If you cut in half, squeeze the juice in. If you sliced - just toss the slices into the pot.
4. Add in your ginger, turmeric, and cloves. Toss in a pinch of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt.
5. Reduce the heat on your pot and let it simmer until the liquid is reduced by at least half. This sort of makes the tea get strong. If I want it really strong, I will reduce it by two-thirds, leaving me about 32 ounces of "witch tea."

Before You Drink Your "Witch Tea" Read This First

Pour some "witch tea" into your favorite mug. You can strain it if you feel the need. I usually just pour it in and will often eat some of the cooked ginger too. Before you drink the tea, there are a couple of things you should know.

Is "Witch Tea" Spicy or Hot?

It may be spicy/hot from the ginger. This is not a bad thing as ginger is known to warm you from the inside. Sometimes, and I don't know the science behind why, the spiciness of the tea will cause me to get hiccups if I drink it too fast.

The Best Ways to Sweeten "Witch Tea"

As Julie Andrews sings in "Marry Poppins," "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." I prefer to use local honey for mine, but my daughter has allergies and local honey can be an irritant to her. She uses (real) maple syrup to sweeten the tea when she drinks it. Honestly, the tea doesn't taste the best without a sweetener. I can drink it without honey, but I don't like to. That said, if using local honey and not store-bought pasteurized honey, let the tea cool to a drinkable temperature so you don't "cook out" the benefits of the local honey.

Here's How to Help Your "Witch Tea" Get to Work

Once I drink down a mug or two, I wrap myself in a blanket and take a nap. I will often drink this tea before bed, and get a good night's sleep while I let the tea get to work. My experience with the tea, the blanket, and sleep is that the ginger will generate "heat" in my body and allow me to sweat out whatever germs are ailing me.

How Often to Drink "Witch Tea" and How to Store It

If I catch it soon enough, one night of tea is enough. If I am feeling particularly run down, I will make enough tea at one time to drink a mug nightly for 2-3 nights in a row. I just put any leftovers in a mason jar, store it in the fridge, and then reheat it a mug at a time - on the stove or in the microwave.

Feel Free to Adjust the Recipe for Your Own Needs

Again, I am not a doctor. I also am not exactly what you would call a culinary genius, so I may not do things exactly "right" in the kitchen. Like most everything else in my life, I am just winging it, so feel free to make any adjustments to the recipe that you see fit for your needs, skills, or knowledge, and I hope it helps you feel better! <3