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How are you feeling today?
Throat a little sore? Nose stuffed up? Or perhaps you had a bad pandemic- based dream last night?
It’s time to make garlic lemonade.
I know, garlic lemonade? Sounds like something you might not want?
Well, I apologize for my bluntness here, but you are wrong.
Garlic Lemonade is just about the best thing if you are sick, getting sick, or feeling paranoid about getting sick. Garlic lemonade is also very perfect if you are healthy.
This recipe was passed on to me by my very good friend Jen. Jen is a marvelous woman with very accurate and evolved taste buds, but I have to say, when she suggested it, I was taken aback.
“Jen is a garlic farmer,” I said to myself, “of course she would turn the stuff into a beverage.”
“Jen eats more greens than I do. Jen is a vegetarian.” I continued to talk myself out of this mysterious drink.
Luckily, I tend to go against my instincts every so often.
We all know that garlic is a magical plant. It is antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. It is an immune booster and a culinary necessity. And don’t even get me started on the flowers.
So make yourself a pot of this. You’ll be drinking it all day. It’s good hot, good cold, and your kids will even drink it, if you add extra honey.
Garlic Lemonade
2 quarts water
8-10 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
the juice of one lemon
honey to taste (I use about 2 Tablespoons for 2 quarts)
optional: a chunk of peeled ginger
Combine the water and the garlic (and ginger, if using) in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for one hour. Remove from heat. Add the lemon and the honey. Enjoy. (and you will, I promise)
14 Comments
Well, 8-10 cloves of garlic would put down any virus. And considering what my definitely ‘old school first generation American whose parents were from the Carpathian Mountains’ doctor father used to prescribe for us, just the ticket.
I keep a stack of hot drink recipes ready for the winter time. ciders, chocolates, teas, coffees, and now a lemonade. Thanks for the recipe Alana. Can’t wait to try it.
Boiling won’t weaken the garlic health power? This sounds like it would be good for colds. Maybe we could as an online joke do a cook book and or home remedy book?
Boiling will certainly lessen the potency of the garlic from its raw state. But I think you’ll find it will do the job, and it’s a lot easier to get down than a head of raw garlic.
This is a very intriguing recipe. Thanks.
Are we eating the cooked cloves of garlic while drinking the liquid?
Or tossing them out, which would be wasteful?
What about using an immersion blender to grind the garlic cloves up in the liquid?
Ever roasted the garlic first, to see what the flavor would be like?
Very intriguing recipe . . . thanks for sharing!
Yes, you can certainly eat the cloves for an extra jolt, but I think you’ll find them a bit withered and waterlogged. They might be good blended into salad dressing, though.
I’m trying to make the FDL Garlic lemonade recipe I only used five garlic cloves instead of 10 but I cut the cloves a few times so the chemicals should seep in faster. Also I’m using limes instead of lemons anf powered ice tea instead of honey I got no other sugar in the house plus I added cinnamon and spearmint oil.
Maybe the Lake should gather together a cookbook list of home remedies and we could try them out and see how they work?
A long term Diary we can all post our ideas as food or cures for stuff then click a specific category and see what others have posted as cures for stuff and report the results or changes we made to the cure.
I posted this on late late night also I chop a whole clove sometimes two of garlic every now and then into small pieces and then grab a pinch drink water fast then grab another pinch drink water fast granted its hard on the tummy but it makes you feel like you ate a radioactive spider sick but with super powers.
I’m hoping I won’t smell as bad for as long this way:)
I wonder if anyone has ever tried to make honey from healing plants like garlic, cinnamon and spearmint then I wonder if the honey was ever tested for health benefits?
Interesting idea, never seen it around.
Yes, I have seen garlic honey- just made with garlic cloves infusing the honey. Cinnamon honey is pretty popular around here too, and is great in the garlic lemonade.
Garlic is pretty cheap Mcdonalds could make this and get health food Cred easy.
thank you Alana
- drank garlic tea through both pregnancies as a means to stave off bugs, anti biotics, and tylenol. can not wait to try this as I am more paranoid than normal this year about contagion.
p.s. recall the mom who gave me the tea recipe would sometimes substitue miso for the lemon and honey and then drink it hot all day