When cold and flu season hits your home, the first thing you want (if you’re like me) is relief! But often cold and flu medications suppress the body’s natural response of fighting the virus. I love using products that provide relief from the symptoms but also support my body in getting over the bug. This natural cold & flu remedy is easy to make, and it’s great at helping your body to fight the virus and get back to health as soon as possible.

Items You Will Need
- Dried Elderberry
- Dried Echinacea
- Vodka
- Grain Alcohol (Optional)
- 2 Clean Pint Mason Jars
- 2 Clean Lids and Rings
- Strainer
- Piece Of Muslin Cloth
- Bowl
- Funnel
- Storage Bottles (Optional)
I prefer using dried organic elderberry and echinacea. It is possible to make a tincture with fresh herbs, but the availability is usually an issue. So I simply out source my dried organic herbs.
I prefer to use a combination of vodka and grain alcohol for tinctures as it makes a stronger end result than vodka alone. However, this is optional. In fast the alcohol in general is optional!
If you want to avoid alcohol for any reason, the tincture can be made with the same amount of vegetable glycerin. This may be a better option of pregnant or breastfeeding or if giving to a young child; however, once diluted the amount of alcohol taken when dosing a tincture is very minimal and generally safe. If using vegetable glycerin, your tincture will need to steep for 6-8 weeks instead of 3-4 weeks if made with alcohol.
The strainer, muslin cloth, bowl, and funnel are used when straining the tincture after it is finished steeping. Amber bottles are a great option for storing your tinctures, but they’re not necessary. You can simple rinse out the herb from the jars you used to steep the tinctures and store in the jars if you wish.

Preparing Your Natural Cold & Flu Remedy
Now that you have all your ingredients, you can go ahead and prepare your tinctures. Begin by washing your jars, lids, and rings in hot soapy water. Rinse and dry well, and add your dried herb. You’ll want to add 1/2 cup of each herb to each jar.
After adding the herb, add 1/3 cup of the grain alcohol to each jar. We will be using less of the grain alcohol when creating the tincture, but the addition adds to the potency of the medicine. After adding the grain alcohol fill the jars with just a half inch of headspace with the vodka. This will be about 1 1/4 cups of vodka. Now simply add the lids to the jars and store in a cool-room temperature dark location.

The Waiting Period
After your tincture jars are filled, all you need to do is wait. The process of making a tincture involves allowing the liquid used (either alcohol or glycerin) to extract the active ingredients from the plant being used – in this case elderberry and echinacea.
Both of these herbs are great at giving your immune system a boost. In addition, the elderberry is high in vitamin c and antioxidants. It also is wonderful for lowering inflammation. Echinacea also is great at lowering inflammation, and it also has pain relieving benefits.
These healing properties are pulled out of the herbs during the waiting period so you’re left with a powerful medicine. If using the alcohol, you will need to let the herbs sit in the alcohol for 3-4 weeks. However, if opting for the glycerin, the extraction process will be 6-8 weeks.

Finishing Your Natural Cold & Flu Remedy
After the waiting period, all you need to do is strain the herb from the liquid. To do this, I find it easiest to place o strainer over a bowl. I line the strainer with a piece of muslin fabric. This is important because the pieces of herb are often small enough to go through the strainer.
Pour the entire contents of the jar into the fabric lined strainer. Gather the sides of the fabric and twist and squeeze the fabric to get all of the liquid out. The liquid left in the bowl underneath the strainer is the medicine!

Using And Storing Your Natural Cold & Flu Remedy
Finally, all you need to do is to properly store your tinctures. Transfer the medicine to a glass container. Any glass jar is fine for storing. It is important to make sure that the tinctures are not stored in direct light. It doesn’t have to be a completely dark room or cabinet, but it’s best to keep them out of direct sunlight.
Your tinctures are finished at this point! You can mix the two together, or you can simply add both when dosing the medicine. A general dosage is to add 1/4-1/2 tsp of each tincture (or 1/2-1 tsp if mixed) to a few ounces of water. It is important to work up to higher dosages when trying a new tincture for the first time. For more information on how to properly dose tinctures see the “How To Use Your Stinging Nettle Allergy Remedy” section in the following post. Stinging Nettle Allergy Remedy
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Be sure to tag us on Instagram or Facebook if you decide to try this! @almostheavenhomesteading
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Disclaimer
The content in this post is meant for information purposes only. The information is not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. If you have concerns about your health, you should speak with a licensed medical professional.

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