Herbal electuaries, elixirs, and cordials may help you ward off serious health issues during a long-term disaster. As SurvivalBased electuaries guide part 1 noted, when the SHTF, calling 911 or rushing to the local emergency room will not be an option.
Learning how to combat common health problems and prevent colds and the flu will allow you to remain strong and ready to protect your family and secure food for the dinner table. Electuaries are surprisingly simple to make, and thanks to the natural preservation benefits of honey, they will keep for years if stored in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Don’t be afraid to play around with your favorite healing herbs and craft your own recipes. Most herbal electuary fans do not hold tight to exact measurements and tweak their recipes to suit the current need. Make sure to always use enough honey to create an electuary that is the consistency of a thick peanut butter. If the mixture turns out too thick, add a few pinches more of the herbs or coconut oil; if it is too thin, simply add another dollop of honey.
Energy Booster Herbal Electuary
Ingredients
• 2 teaspoons ginseng powder
• 3 teaspoons spirulina powder
• 1 teaspoon elderberry powder
• 3 teaspoons ashwagandha powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon rose elixir
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 cup honey (Local raw honey is recommended.)
Directions
1. Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and stir slowly to prevent the fine powders from filtering out of the bowl and into the air.
This natural energy booster can be consumed daily. Smear one teaspoon of the electuary onto a piece of bread; dip it into a warm beverage and enjoy . The herbs in the remedy have been known to increase stamina, enhance mental alertness and clarity, promote better digestion, and boost libido.
Heart Health Electuary
Bark Electuary
Ingredients
• 1 cup honey
• 1/4 cup chokecherry bark
• 1 cup chokecherry flowers or fruit (Add an extra pinch for flavor)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon root powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger root powder
• 1/4 cup brandy or elderberry mead, optional
Directions
1. Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container until ready for use.
Adults can take one teaspoon per day of the herbal electuary for a heart disease preventative or one teaspoon up to three times per day to help reduce heart palpitation symptoms during a survival situation. As always, learn about the herbs and natural ingredients you are using to make sure they are safe to consume if you have allergies or are pregnant or nursing.
Elderberry Electuary
Ingredients
• 1 cinnamon stick or 2 teaspoons powdered cinnamon root
• 1/2 ounce dried elderberries
• 1 cup honey
• 3 teaspoons ginger root powder
• 1/2 cup rose hips
• Orange peel (zest) powdered, optional
Directions
1. Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container until ready for use.
Adults can consume half a teaspoon every two to three hours when experiencing nausea, a sore throat, or flu-like symptoms. Decrease the dosage by half when given to children younger than 12.
Fever Reducer
Ingredients
• 1/2 teaspoon rose hips
• 1/2 teaspoon strawberry leaves
• 1 drop lemongrass essential oil
• 1/2 teaspoon St. John’s Wort
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon flowering thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon marigold flowers
• 1 cup honey
Directions
1. Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container until needed.
For anyone age 12 and over, give one teaspoonful of the fever reducer every four to six hours. Cut the dosage in half for younger children.
How to Make Capsules For Herbal Electuaries and Natural Remedies
Some folks choose to make capsules for their electuaries and home remedies instead of storing large amounts in mason jars. Both methods are shelf-stable. Making capsules allows the flexibility to predetermine dosage for children and adults. Bartering single capsules instead of entire jars of electuaries and home remedies might also be beneficial during a long-term disaster.
Capsules prevent grimaces when some of the electuaries hit the taste buds. The tiny pills are also lightweight and portable, making them handy to pack in a first aid kit, bug-out bag, get-me-home bag, or INCH bag. Watch the video below to learn more about making herbal electuary capsules at home.
https://youtu.be/BHv_vji9MtQ
Supplies
You will need capsules and jigs, or capsule holders. Here are a few things you should know about these items.
• Capsule casings come in multiple sizes. Size 0 is designed to provide medicine to young children and the elderly.
• Size 00 is made for adults and can contain 1/4 of a teaspoon of herbal electuaries.
• One ounce of a powdered herbal remedy will fill 60 size 00 capsules and 30 size 0 capsules.
• Capsule holders, or jigs, are sold commercially and are readily available online. The devices are relatively inexpensive and hold the capsules open during the filling process.
• Some of the jigs hold multiple capsules at one time and allow the herbalist to do a mass fill to save time. Attempting to hold and fill the small capsules without a jig or steady, patient helper is very tedious. I highly recommend working a capsule holder into your prepping budget.
How to Make Herbal Electuary Lozenges
Lozenges might not last as long as capsules or herbal electuaries stored in mason jars, but they do have value. Lozenges are portable and can fit inside even a small EDC pack. Because lozenges coat the throat to soothe scratchiness and suppress coughing, the homemade drops will prevent a cold from drawing unwanted attention to you during a stealthy trek to safety.
Herbal electuary lozenges, just like their commercially manufactured counterparts, are infused with ingredients designed to work as expectorants. When phlegm is loosened from the respiratory tract, productive coughing can occur and help the sufferer get past the cold and flu symptoms more quickly.
Although lozenges are most commonly used to treat a sore throat, you can opt to use the “pop and go” pieces as a delivery method for herbal remedies designed to treat a plethora of different issues. Unlike capsules, there is no swig of water necessary to help the medicine go down, making them an excellent survival situation medication. Watch the video below to learn more about making herbal lozenges.
Herbal Lozenge Making Tips
• When using essential oils in herbal lozenges, add in a pinch of sugar to make sure the oil is thoroughly distributed in the lozenge. The oil attaches to the sugar and is then more easily stirred into the mix.
• For a one-size-fits-all lozenge to keep in your bug-out bag to use for a variety of minor health issues, choose herbs that possess antiseptic, analgesic (pain relief) sedative, anti-inflammatory, and anesthetic properties.
• Make sure to add some mucilaginous herbs to the lozenge mix. These herbs function as binders; they help keep the lozenge together in a single solid piece. Both marshmallow root and slippery elm make magnificent binders that also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Herbal Electuary Lozenge Recipe
Ingredients
• 1/2 pound powdered herbs (can be a single herb or a mixture)
• 4 ounces coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger root powder or ginger extract
• 1 teaspoon chamomile extract or powdered herb
• 1 teaspoon spearmint extract or powdered leaf
• 2 cups rice flour, tapioca flour or sugar
Directions
1. Mix together the dry ingredients until it holds together like a dough.
2. Roll out the mix and allow it to sit in a cool, dry space overnight.
3. Roll the dough into tiny balls and then flatten into a lozenge shape or use candy molds to shape the lozenges.
4. Place the lozenges onto a baking rack and allow to thoroughly dry for at least one day. Do not place the herbal lozenges in the sun.
5. Store in an airtight plastic container, ziplock bag, or mason jar until ready for use.
6. Lozenges should remain solid and not too sticky to handle for at least three to six months if not exposed to too much heat.
What are you favorite herbal electuary and natural remedy mixtures?
[Image via Wikimedia Commons]