11 Must-Try Herbal Medicine Recipes for a Healthy Spring Season

As the seasons change and Spring is around the corner, great herbal medicine recipes can be the benchmark for a healthy transition!

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As an herbal brewer and an advocate for herbal medicine, I always seek the best natural remedies, which usually include a menu of tinctures, teas, and herbal ferments!

You will learn some amazing and unique herbal medicine recipes, and some unique fermented drinks to add to your healthcare regime.

Get all your herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs!

This post is all about must-try herbal medicine recipes.

Must-Have Herbal Medicine Recipes

Let’s dive into the various kinds of herbal medicine! We have herbal syrups, herbal tinctures, and even herbal fermented drinks. All these recipes are simple and can be made at home.

All information in this post should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for questions or before engaging in herbal medicine.

Furthermore, herbal syrups are immediate remedies, while herbal tinctures and fermented drinks can be immediate and preventative. Personally, I enjoy using tinctures almost every day as preventative measures!

All herbs can be purchased either in your local market or at Mountain Rose Herbs.

Herbal Syrups with Honey

Honey, with its antimicrobial properties and soothing effects, makes a great base for cough syrups. Although each syrup uses honey, I recommend using local raw honey for the best results.

How to make a natural cough syrup:

1. Take a small mason jar

2. Fill it with a generous amount of herbs.

3. Pour honey on top until all is covered. Allow to marinate for 24 hours.

4. Take 2-3 spoonfuls as needed to soothe a cough. Please consult with your doctor, this is not medical advice.

1. Lemon Thyme Soothing Cough Syrup

Thyme is an antibiotic and a mild cough suppressant. Lemon’s citric acid helps break down phlegm and allows you to expel it more easily.

So, lemon and thyme can be a great soothing remedy for a cough.

You can get lemon and thyme at your local grocery store!

2. Oregano Garlic Antibiotic Cough Syrup

Oregano and garlic make an antiviral powerhouse cough syrup. Both are a natural antibiotic and antiviral. When making this syrup, mash the garlic to release its medicinal properties more easily.

You can get oregano and garlic and your local grocery store!

3. Stinging Nettle & Valerian Nourishing Cough Syrup

Stinging nettle is a nourishing herb. It has lots of vitamins and minerals and is a great “generally healing” herb. Not only that, but stinging nettle helps ease the symptoms of seasonal allergies.

Valerian root has been used for sedation and sleep aid. We all know when we get sick the best thing to do is sleep! Valerian does just that, in a natural gentle way.

So, nettle and valerian cough syrup will gently soothe a cough while also providing relaxation. A great option for an evening cough syrup, that also combats seasonal allergies!

You can get quality stinging nettle here, and valerian here!

Herbal Tinctures

Tinctures are amazing herbal medicine recipes because they last up to 3-4 months before spoiling. It is a great way to utilize herbs!

How to make a tincture at home:

1. Get a small mason jar.

2. Gather your herbs and place them in the jar using the ratios: For dried herbs fill the jar 1/2 to 3/4 full, for fresh herbs make sure to chop them up finely and fill the jar 2/3.

3. Fill the jar up with 80-90 proof vodka, making sure to cover all the herbs.

4. Option to place a piece of parchment paper between the lid and the jar to prevent corrosion of the metal! Then, place the mason jar in a cool dark place.

5. Allow to extract for 6-8 weeks, shaking once a week. Check periodically to make sure the herbs are not exposed to the air inside the jar. If so, simply fill the jar with more alcohol.

6. After extraction, use cheesecloth and another jar to separate the herb from your newly made tincture! Option to place in a tincture bottle using a funnel. Contents can last up to 6 months!

natural antibiotic herbal medicine recipes

4. Echinacea & Nettle Immune Boosting Tincture

Echinacea has been growing in popularity recently. It is a great immune booster by stimulating the immune system. Stinging nettle is also a great overall healing herb, actually called a “nourishing herb” high in vitamins and minerals.

Together these herbs will provide your immune system a gratifying boost when you begin to feel under the weather. Or a supplement to take a couple of times a week to keep the immune system strong.

*Make sure not to take echinacea for prolonged periods. Because of its stimulating effects, it can have negative impacts on your immune system over time. Only use it when you feel the onset of cold symptoms. Check with you doctor as well!

You can get echinacea here, and stinging nettle here!

5. Oregano & Thyme Antimicrobial Tincture

As noted about cough syrups, oregano, and thyme are both antibacterial. To make a tincture out of these two herbs might be the easiest antimicrobial medicine!

This tincture combination is great for seasonal upkeep, or on the onset of symptoms.

You can get oregano and thyme at your local market, or you can get them here!

6. Valerian & Lemon Balm Calming Tincture

Again, as noted above, when the seasons transition it is important for us to keep up our health care regime and to get good sleep!

Valerian and lemon balm are great sedatives for the evening when you are ready to be relaxed. Seasonal changes can cause our bodies to stress, which can result in illness, though this tincture can help ease seasonal stress!

You can get valerian here, and lemon balm here!

Nourishing Fermented Beverages

Of course, I must add fermented drinks to the herbal medicine recipes! Fermented beverages possess great potential for improving our health, and here is how:

You can make anything into a delicious herbal ginger beer! An herbal medicine recipe with the bonus of probiotics.

In the post above on homemade soda, I have a recipe at the end for a “Lemon Balm Ginger Beer”. We can substitute the Lemon Balm for any nourishing herb and create an astounding homemade ginger soda that actually has health benefits.

Here are three more amazing fermented drinks to try:

7. Smreka (or fermented juniper berries)

Smreka is a fermented drink originating in Bosnia. Juniper berries are similar to Elderberries in their medicinal properties: immune boosting!

In traditional smreka, zero added sugar makes it extra potent in medicinal benefits. Here is a recipe for an easy, at-home, Smreka drink.

8. Evening Nettle & Valerian Calming Ginger Beer

As I mentioned above, stinging nettle helps ease seasonal allergies and valerian helps calm our nervous system. A calming ginger beer is the epitome of a lovely night in that is also nourishing during seasonal changes.

Use the recipe at the end of this post, and add 1/2 cup of stinging nettle!

9. Antibiotic and Antimicrobial Oregano Thyme & Lemon Ginger Beer

Oregano and thyme are underrated when it comes to medicinal benefits! As mentioned, they hold strong antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, making them a potent medicine for cold and flu season.

This soda recipe is has a citrus zing, but also herbaceous flavors that make for a delicious herbal soda!

Use the recipe at the end of this post, and add substitute the lemon balm for 1 cup fresh thyme and 1 cup fresh oregano!

If using dried thyme and oregano, only use 1/2 cup.

10. Pine Needle Beer High in Vitamin C & Antioxidants

This beer recipe is high in Vitamin C and antioxidants thanks to pine needles! Believe it or not, pine needles hold lots of Vitamin C which is important for our immune system.

Making this pine beer during a seasonal shift will keep that immune system strong while simultaneously enjoying a gently brewed ale.

Here is the recipe for an easy pine needle beer for beginner brewers!