Immune-Building Chai

This chai blend is spicy! It warms the body and supports your immune system. This can be drunk daily, especially during the colder months of the year. If there’s too much spice for your taste, decrease the ginger or try using fresh

ginger instead of dried.

In the wintertime I cook my chai teas on the wood stove to conserve energy. Another method is to put it in the crock pot on low overnight. That way you wake up to an evocative smell throughout the house and a warm chai for breakfast.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED...• 2 tablespoons dried ginger root• 2 tablespoons dried orange peel• 1 tablespoon cinnamon chips• 1 teaspoon peppercorns• 1/2 teaspoon hulled cardamom or two crushed cardamom pods• 1/4 teaspoon cloves (about 3 to 5 cloves)• 10 to 20 grams astragalus• 6 to 9 grams sliced reishi• 1 1/2 quarts water

Place all the ingredients in a pan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Cover and simmer for one hour. Strain. Add milk and honey if desired.

Note: Codonopsis is another wonderful adaptogen herb that goes well in this chai. I use 10 to 30 grams per serving.

BULK BLENDMeasuring out all those individual spices can be tedious after awhile, so I make up a large batch of the spices. I add astragalus, reishi, and codonopsis separately since they are oddly shaped and don’t blend well.

Written by Rosalee de la Forêt. Herbal Cold Care © LearningHerbs.com, LLC

Immune-Building ChaiRECIPE CARD

HERE’S A BULK RECIPE: • 2 cups dried ginger root• 2 cups dried orange peel• 1 cup cinnamon chips• 1/3 cup peppercorns• 5 1/2 tablespoons cardamom• 3 tablespoons cloves

Add 10-20 grams of astragalus and 6-9 grams of reishi.


Immune-Building ChaiRECIPE CARD

Oxymels are one of my favorite medicinal preparations for boggy and congested coughs. An oxymel is basically a combination of vinegar and honey, giving these preparations a sour and sweet taste. Adding herbs gives it those

healing qualities as well.

This oxymel is a gorgeous purple color and combines the healing power of elderberries along with the stimulating expectorant qualities of ginger and elecampane.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED...• Dried elderberries• 2 tablespoons dried ginger• 2 tablespoons elecampane root• Honey• Apple cider vinegar

Fill a quart jar 1/3 to 1/2 full with elderberries. Add the ginger and elecampane to the jar. Add an equal amount of honey and apple cider vinegar to fill the rest of the quart jar. Stir well.

Vinegar can corrode a metal lid, so you’ll need to cover the jar with a plastic lid, or place a barrier like plastic wrap or wax paper between the metal lid and the liquid.

The next day stir it again and add more vinegar if necessary. (The dried elderberries will swell a

bit.) Let this sit for 2 to 6 weeks, stirring occasionally. When done, strain off well using a cheesecloth.

Store in the fridge and use within 6 months or so.

To use: Take this liberally for wet, congested coughs that produce a lot of mucus.


Elderberry OxymelRECIPE CARD

This simple recipe was inspired by Rosemary Gladstar. It combines the pungent and expectorating qualities of onions, ginger, and garlic with the soothing abilities of honey.

This simple herbal syrup can be used to help coughing associated with congestion.

WhaT you’ll need...• Fresh pungent onion (look for yellow onions, avoid sweet onions)• Fresh garlic• Fresh ginger• honey (slightly warmed)

Mince up equal parts of the onion, garlic, and ginger. Fill a jar half-full with them. Cover this with honey. Stir well and add more honey if necessary.

let this sit for at least 2 days before sampling. no need to strain the herbs from the honey, but if left in there over time, the herbs may become rubbery. Because of this I like to make this in smaller batches.

To use: adults take 1 to 2 teaspoons every 30 to 60 minutes or as needed.


Garlic, Ginger and Onion SyrupRECIPE CARD

Those dry hacking and unrelenting coughs can be the worst type of cough to have. They often strike at night as you are laying down to bed, interrupting much-needed sleep.

Using an antispasmodic tincture blend is a great way to stop that cough so you can get the relief and rest you need. Tinctures work fast and they don’t contain a lot of liquid (which can be great just before bedtime).

Remember, I wouldn’t use this with a congested cough. In that case you want to use stimulating expectorant herbs to help get the mucus flowing so you can move it out of your lungs. Taking something to suppress your cough in this instance could trap the mucus in your lungs, leading to further infection.

This tincture blend is perfect for bedtime. If you want something for daytime use, omit the valerian and increase the California poppy.

WhaT yoU’ll need...• 33 milliliters valerian extract• 33 milliliters California poppy extract• 33 milliliters cherry bark extract• 10 milliliters licorice extract• 10 milliliters cinnamon extract

Combine the extracts in a 4-ounce tincture bottle. Shake well and label.

If you don’t have a measuring glass for small milliliters, then eyeball out equal parts of the first 3 extracts then add a dash of licorice and cinnamon.

To use this tincture (or other antispasmodic blends):

This is the perfect example of when titrating up a dose is really helpful. (See the video on dosage for more general information on titration.)

here’s how I do this. I start by taking a small amount of the tincture. I would start with about 30 drops. If coughing doesn’t stop within 10 minutes, I would take 60 drops. If coughing doesn’t stop within 10 minutes, I’d take 90 drops. at some point this should stop your coughing and help you to sleep. The next time you use this blend, you can start with the dose that helped.

Most people find valerian to be a gentle sedative. a small number of people get the opposite response from valerian. It’s a good idea to know if you are a “valerian person” before taking lots of valerian tincture. If you aren’t a valerian person, then substitute kava for the valerian or increase the California poppy in place of the valerian.

you can take a lot of this formula with no adverse effects. If nausea or headache occur, then decrease your dose.


Spastic Cough TinctureRECIPE CARD

I love single herbs that seemingly do everything. Their complexity could inspire a lifetime of devotion to learning the intricate ways they could be used for food and medicine, as well as the ways they support their habitat and the gifts

they bring the earth. Single herbs that can be used in a variety of ways are called polycrest herbs.

At first glance marshmallow seems like a specific plant. Its claim to fame is being the #1 go-to demulcent herb for many herbalists.

Demulcent herbs are slimy and thick and are typically used to soothe mucous membranes. Like many demulcent herbs, marshmallow is cooling and moistening, bringing relief to hot and dry conditions.

This marshmallow infusion is included in the Herbal Cold Care course because of its ability to moisten and soothe irritated throat and bronchial tissues and thus relieve a sore throat or dry cough.

The majority of the time we make teas and long infusions, we use hot water to extract the plant material. But marshmallow roots are typically prepared using cold water.

Marshmallow roots are high in polysaccharides and starches. By using a cold infusion, you extract mainly the mucilaginous polysaccharides. If you simmer the root, you also extract the starches in the plant (which is okay; the cold infusion is considered to be a purer extract of the mucilage).

WHAt you’LL neeD...• Marshmallow root • Lukewarm water• time

to make this preparation, simply fill a jar 1/4 of the way with marshmallow root. Then fill the jar with lukewarm water and cover with a lid.

Let sit for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. The water should change color to a soft yellow.

Strain off the roots. The resulting liquid should be thick and viscous.

note: A slight variation of this is to add a small amount of cinnamon chips to the marshmallow root.


Marshmallow InfusionRECIPE CARD

This is a very old Western recipe that is considered a general formula for colds and the flu. I’ve given it to countless people and seen it relieve a lot of discomfort associated with these illnesses. It’s quite effective, but gentle enough

for for most people and even children.

Both elderflowers and yarrow are used as relaxing diaphoretics, making this blend especially well suited for people with fevers who feel hot and are restless.

This may have been one of the first herbal formulas I ever learned. I love its simplicity, and that many of these plants grow right outside my door. Most traditional formulas only include the first three ingredients, but I think the rose hips make a nice addition.

Peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, or even bee balm (Monarda fistulosa) are wonderful mints to use in this blend. If making this for a child, you might want to omit the yarrow due to taste.

WhaT you’ll need...• 1/4 cup dried elderflowers• 1/4 cup dried yarrow leaves and flowers• 1/8 cup dried rose hips• Big pinch of a dried mint • Just-boiled water

Place the herbs in a pint jar. Fill the jar with just-boiled water and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain.

Sip while warm.


Elderflower TeaRECIPE CARD

A simple miso soup is a wonderful start to a meal and a way to support healthy gut flora to prevent illness, or it can be an ideal meal for recovering from illness.

The following will be a simple broth that can easily be transformed into whatever soup suits your fancy.

I love making this simple broth with South River Miso. Their dandelion leek blend is my favorite but all of them are fantastic. If you are new to miso, getting their sampler pack is a good way to explore different kinds of miso. Of course there are many different kinds of miso out there; just be sure to get it from the refrigerated section.

This incredibly simple recipe is made in minutes. You heat the liquid you want to use, remove from heat, and then add the miso. You don’t want to cook the miso at high temperatures as this will potentially kill the beneficial bacteria in the miso.

WhAt YOu’ll need...• 8 ounces water, vegetable broth, or bone broth• 1 teaspoon miso

heat the liquid until it simmers. Remove from heat and let cool briefly. Stir in the miso until it has mixed thoroughly. enjoy.

Optional: Miso soup is often served with a bit of tofu and seaweed.


Miso SoupRECIPE CARD

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Immune-Building Chai