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This is How My Grandma Made Antibiotics

This is an easy and quick remedy for when you are sick, that I learned from my grandma. It will help you clear out all that mucus that your allergies have been causing, and residual gunk from the flu or common cold you might still be recovering from.

It only requires 5 common household ingredients that you might already have stocked in your pantry. This is a necessity for your medicine cabinet especially during allergy season. So, let us take it back to our roots and make this quick and easy remedy.

How My Grandma Made Natural Antibiotics

This recipe has been used in our households for many years, usually accompanied by a fire cider or elderberry syrup. Both of which are great for your respiratory system and for boosting your immune system.

I personally had struggled with a lot of illnesses this year due to working in the school system and this has helped me to boost my immune system more than anything I have tried.

But let’s see what the ingredients are and what they’re good for.

Honey: It has natural anti-bacterial properties and it also helps to soothe a cough and sore throat. It has anti-fungal properties as well. It is one of the oldest known remedies, the Egyptians used it as a skin protectant and natural antibiotic.

Ginger: is a natural anti-inflammatory and has carminative effects that help your digestive system. Since it is such a strong anti-inflammatory it can help to reduce the symptoms and length of a cold.

Cloves: is an anti-microbial, antioxidant and helps to clear your sinuses. It is also a natural antipyretic, so it helps to naturally reduce a fever. It has different compounds such as eugenol and flavonoids that help increase your bone density while increasing the mineral content too.

Cinnamon: contains compounds with protective antioxidants and can help prevent sickness, as well as helping to thin out mucus congestion in the lungs. Cinnamon can help to kill fungi that can lead to respiratory tract infections as well.  Like clove, it can assist in bringing down a fever.

Put them all together and you will have the perfect flu/cold and allergy remedy, all in under an hour.

Grandma’s Homemade Syrup

Always start with a clean work space and go ahead and prep your ingredients beforehand.

I prefer using dehydrated herbs due to them being shelf stable; fresh herbs will work just as well but you’ll need to double the amount. My grandma used to grow her own antibiotics in her backyard, by planting only these 10 medicinal plants.

This specific recipe produces about one cup of syrup, you can always double the recipe or divide it. All the cooking and preparation time is less than an hour too, making it the perfect remedy when you are not feeling well.

This time I put the herbs in a tea strainer, but my grandma always used a cheesecloth to strain the syrup at the end, and you can do that as well.

You will need:
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup of water
  • 2 tbsp. dehydrated cloves
  • 2 tbsp. dehydrated ginger
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon (2 cinnamon sticks will also work)
  • small pot or tea kettle
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • tea strainer (or cheesecloth)
Steps:
  1. Bring the water to a light boil on the stove.This is how my grandma made antibiotics- boil water
  2. Once the water has come to a boil, lower the heat and place cloves and ginger in the tea strainer, or directly to the pot.This is how my grandma made antibiotics- put ingredients in tea strainer
  3. Add tea strainer with ginger and clove to your pot, reduce to a simmer on low heat and stir in honey and cinnamon.
  4. Let the mixture simmer slowly for 5-10 minutes.
  5. Add in the sugar and stir until all the sugar has completely dissolved.
  6. Let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
  7. Now remove the pot from heat, let it cool until it reaches room temperature, and remove the tea strainer (or strain the mixture using a cheesecloth if you added all the ingredients to your pot).
  8. Pour the syrup into a mason jar and store it in the fridge, or in a dark cabinet for up to a entire year.

How to Use

This syrup is the perfect remedy to the common cold and flu, and for getting some respiratory relief during allergy season. It is perfect to mix in a chai tea latte, or just as an accent to your favorite herbal tea. You can also take it orally- start with one tablespoon and go from there.

The shelf life is one year, if it is properly closed and stored. Taking it as a preventive for common illnesses is a great way to use it as well, as the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants make an amazing immune booster. Due to the ginger in this it can also help ease slight nausea and bloating. I have started mixing it into my English breakfast tea in the morning to boost my digestion, and to unclog my airways.

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How is the honey used in the recipe?

in step 3 after you turn it down to simmer. You don’t want to boil the honey

It looks great but why sugar?

The sugar maybe what makes it into a syrup. I would personally leave it out.
Also I’m wondering why they have not answered anyone inquiry on this

Sugar will thicken the mixture. Otherwise it will just be watery. Just my thought on it

Hi Rita,

Thank you for your comment!
If you wish, you can leave out the sugar and only add the honey.

Many blessings and good health!

why so much sugar along with the honey? Can it be eliminated?

You definitely can eliminate it, I used it to make it thicker.

Hi Mary,

Yes, if you wish to leave out the sugar and only add honey you can do that.

Many blessings and good health!

I don’t understand why the added sugar, and no measurement on ingredient. Please provide information.

The measurements are there.

You might know sugar in concentration the bacterial can’t survive due to viscosity That is the reason why all elixir or cough syrup has sucrose solution as base

It should be pointed out that while is recipe is called an “antibiotic “, colds and the flu are both caused by viruses, not bacteria which is what antibiotics are used for. Having said that , I will be trying this cold/flu remedy and see how it works.

Last edited 2 months ago by Steve

Steve – yes, you are spot on. I think I’ll stick with my fermented garlic/raw honey. I can still add cinnamon, cloves, and ginger powders and just heat it to just warm. Or just make a tea out of them. Not a fan of adding more sugar for syrup.

these are fantastic for virus.

I think it is more appropriate to call immunity booster ! Perhaps she used it as people can relate easily

Can this be made without the sugar or honey? My daughter is diabetic.

Hi Lynn,

You can leave out the sugar for this recipe, but generally, syrups are not recommended for diabetics.

She could try a tea recipe instead.

Many blessings and good health!

is the ginger listed the leaves or root??

Root

Hi Carole,

The recipe calls for ginger root.

Many blessings and good health!

For diabetes cantdo honey AND sugar.
I’ve heard for people on blood thinner you have to be careful with too much cloves especially the drop version. Any input

I definetly recommend checking with any interactions with health issues and any medicine you may be on. You can make syrup without the sugar and just use honey, the sugar causes it to thicken. :))

Hi K,

For diabetes syrups are generally not recommended.

Yes, cloves can potentially interact with blood-thinning medications. Cloves contain eugenol, which has blood-thinning properties

Many blessings and good health!

Another substitute for the sugar?

Hi Brandon,

You can leave out the sugar for this remedy and only add honey.

Many blessings and good health!

I will have to try this recipe and add to my Apothecary. I have an old family tradition of using onions for colds and flu. You wear chopped/ minced onions in wool socks and wear them to bed…I have modified it to be used as a poultice in flannel. I also discovered quite by accident that it is also an antibiotic. I was diagnosed with a lung infection 4 days before my first knee replacement. This meant no surgery and no surgery if I am on antibiotics a week before so I tried the onions. Had my surgery as scheduled. No infection was found however I still had congestion. This is my experience and I’m not giving medical advice just sharing what I learned.

Hi Belinda,

Thank you so much for sharing this amazing remedy with us, we really appreciate it!

Many blessings and good health!

Garlic and onions are very good for boosting immunity .Garlic onion and honey is best aphrodisiac and lowering cholesterol.If interested I will share my mom recipes

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