Several weeks ago I  preapared a batch of echinacea glycerite.   I made about five cups worth, which should last a long time when you consider that it’s given by the dropperful.    And a dropperful only holds half a teaspoon!

A glycerite is similar to a tincture, but uses vegetable glycerine as a base for the herbs instead of alcohol. To make it, I used equal amounts of echinacea and yarrow, a sprinkle of cayenne (I’ll leave this out in the future), 2 -16 oz bottles vegetable glycerin, a little bit of water, and brewed it for three days on the lowest flame.  Using glycerine makes it pleasant tasting for kids and adults –  you can serve it easily by putting a dropperful in a cup and adding a little bit of water.  They drink it right now!

A couple days ago dh was giving the kids some elderberry syrup (the littles don’t let us forget to give this to them every morning) and taking some echinacea for himself, and said we should call them Mommy’s yummy-ites  instead of glycerites. 🙂   Everyone has been appreciating my efforts to provide tasty and  enjoyable ways to strengthen their immune systems.

Dh was been feeling under the weather for the last few weeks, and last week I suggested he take a teaspoon of this echinacea blend every hour.  He had been taking it once or twice a day, but with echinacea, that’s not enough.  Echinacea is most effective when taken at the first signs of being under the weather, every hour or two.  I’m happy that he’s now back to himself – I won’t fully credit the echinacea for it, but I’m sure it helped!

Recently  I was somewhere when I met a young couple visiting from out of state. Their toddler was sick and listless, and the parents were very concerned.  Generally I don’t say anything about health or nutrition to people unless I’m asked about it, but the mother knows me for several years and because of some suggestions I gave her regarding pregnancy and childbirth, she was able to avoid some medical issues she was concerned about.  So she knows I’m not a flake.  🙂

Because I could see how helpless they felt, being far from home and not having anything in the house to give her (the father said he wished they had antibiotics for her), I offered them some of this glycerite (I even gave it to my 4 month old baby when he was showing the beginning signs of a cold – he excitedly slurped up the dropperful because it was so tasty).

But the baby’s father said he wasn’t comfortable with the idea of giving her something new (because they don’t want to give her something that might disagree with her), which I respected.  Their toddler had no appetite because of whatever her little body was fighting off, and it was a little sad/ironic to me when right after telling me they wouldn’t give her the echinacea, they gave her a piece of cake and then some very sugary breakfast cereal to encourage her to eat.

Everyone has their own process and their own timeline that they come to new things at….

On the flip side, today a friend came by to get some for her husband, since the health food store was closed, and I was happy to be able to share what we’ve made.

I transfer all of the herbal remedies I’ve made into amber colored glass bottles with dropper lids.  I have 2 oz. and 4 oz. bottles, but for our family I find the 4 oz a more practical size.  When they need to be refilled, I pour it from the larger glass jar that I keep stored in the fridge.  I put a label on each smaller bottle and keep them on the door of my fridge on their own shelf where it’s easy to find them.

Making these herbal remedies is just a matter of finding a recipe and following it.  I took the concept for my mix from a comment in the Bulk Herb Store catalog, which said that echinacea, yarrow and cayenne are a powerful combination.   But the cayenne adds a little bit of a kick that doesn’t enhance the taste and I’d rather in the future just add cayenne to my personal serving of broth when feeling under the weather.

Making your own herbal remedies may sound intimidating or complicated, but if you can bake a cake or cook oatmeal, you can make your own remedies.  It’s very satisfying to be able to learn new things that you can use to help your family stay healthy!

Avivah