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When flu and cold season kicks into gear, I start disinfecting shopping carts, blending this elderberry smoothie, and making my soothing homemade ginger lemon honey tea. This is a classic cold remedy that combines ginger’s anti-inflammatory magic, lemon’s vitamin C boost, and honey’s soothing qualities.
Breath in deep while sipping on this homemade cold and flu remedy to relieve congestion while strengthening your immune system during cold and flu season. No one likes being sick, but having a batch of this tea on hand can really make a difference.
Ginger Lemon Honey Tea Health Benefits
This all-natural home remedy is my first defense when I get sick. It tastes amazing, makes me feel better quickly and speeds up recovery. Here’s some of my favorite health benefits of this tea:
- Ginger helps reduce inflammation and swelling in the body when fighting off a common cold. Fresh lemon juice is rich in vitamin C, which helps boost the immune system and neutralize the free radicals in the body.
- Fresh lemon juice has natural acidity to help break down mucus as well as alleviate congestion.
- Ginger contains a bioactive compound called gingerol, which helps you sweat out the toxins in your body, which is helpful when you have a cold or flu. It’s also a helpful home remedy for cough, settling upset stomachs, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweats.
- Raw local honey is a natural cough suppressant. It can also improve the body’s ability to fight infection and decrease the risk of fevers. Raw honey and warm water also helps sooth a sore throat, fight infection and help with seasonal allergies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need three ingredients to make this Ginger Lemon Honey Tea. I like to batch it out into a large mason jar and store in the fridge until needed.
- Fresh lemons: use organic lemons or really scrub the peel to remove any pesticide or wax residue. You can create fresh lemon juice by squeezing by hand our using a juicer.
- Fresh ginger root: Found in the produce section. You’ll want to wash it well and cut into thin ginger slices. If you can’t find it, try using herbal ginger tea from a box.
- Raw honey: The natural sweetness of honey balances the tartness of the lemon + ginger. Use raw local honey or Manuka honey for the best results. Infants under one year of age should avoid honey as it can cause botulism.
How to Make Ginger Lemon Honey Tea
This ginger, lemon and honey tea is ideally made in a large batch to have all season long. It’s perfect for soothing a sore throat and relieving congestion in just a few minutes. You can make it fresh with hot water, slice of lemon, ginger, and honey, or you can make it in bulk like I do. Here’s my preferred method:
- Cut lemons and fresh ginger root into thin slices.
- Alternate layering into an airtight jar (ex: mason jar).
- Slowly, pour honey over the lemon slices and fresh ginger root and fill jar to the top. Seal tightly.
- Store in the refrigerator until needed.
- When ready to use, add a large scoop to a mug of hot water. Stir well and sip it down.
Storage Tip
I love using mason jars to store my home remedies, like this ginger lemon honey tea that’s in a quart-size mason jar with a wide mouth.
Common Questions
Lemon ginger honey tea offers numerous health benefits, including boosting the immune system, aiding digestion, and relieving cold symptoms. Ginger may help relieve nausea and increase digestive efficiency. The combination of ginger and honey tea provides anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, while the lemon adds a dose of vitamin C. Together, these ingredients can help soothe sore throats, reduce nausea, and improve overall wellness.
Yes, lemon ginger tea can be an effective home remedy for cough relief. The ginger acts as a natural expectorant, helping to loosen mucus and ease coughing. To make ginger lemon tea for cough, simply add a bit more ginger when preparing the tea and sip it slowly. The honey helps soothe the throat, making it easier to manage coughing fits.
The lemon ginger tea benefits can be enhanced by the addition of honey, which is known for its antibacterial and soothing properties. Ginger is excellent for digestion and reducing inflammation, while honey helps coat and calm an irritated throat. Together, ginger and honey tea can help alleviate symptoms of colds and flu, improve digestion, and provide a natural energy boost.
More Natural Remedies for Cold and Flu
Thirteen years ago, I started on this wellness journey to discover the best home remedies for coughs, colds, and flu. Some we’re a bit wild and I only did once, whereas others were winners and I still use. Here are a few recipes that have stuck with me over the years:
- Elderberry Syrup: can be taken daily, and taken multiple times a day when experiencing cold or flu symptoms. And when you can make a medicinal syrup into popsicles for sore throats, I’m 100% in.
- Homemade Fire Cider: while this tonic is not for the faint of heart, it does wonders in limiting the life of a cold or the flu, and helps to strengthen the immune system along the way. This is one home remedy that’ll scare the cough right out of ya!
- Homemade Vapor Rub: this is a perfect natural remedy for cough + decongestant. Use it on the chest, as well as the feet to soothe.
Ginger Lemon Honey Tea
Ingredients
- 2 lemons organic
- 2 inch ginger root
- 1 cup raw honey
- 16-oz mason jar
Instructions
- Slice lemons and ginger.
- Place the lemon and ginger slices in the mason jar, alternating layers of each.
- Slowly, pour honey over the lemon and ginger. Allow the honey to sink down and around the lemon and ginger slices. Fill jar to the top with honey and seal tightly.
- Store in the refrigerator. Over time, the mixture will start to turn into a loose jelly.
- When you are in need of some soothing tea for cough, scoop 2-3 tablespoons into a mug full of hot water—be sure to scoop whole pieces of ginger and lemon. Allow to steep for 3-4 minutes and sip away.
Video
Notes
- Since lemons are going into this concentrate, make sure to wash them well before slicing.
- Use a jar with a tight-fitting lid to ensure this mixture stays protected.
- For best personal results, use raw, local honey that was made within the season you are using it.
I was just wondering, when you take some from the jar, do you just take the liquid or do you take pieces of ginger and lemon to steep in the hot water? It looks good and thinking my borderline sick hubby will be my guinea pig. Thank you for sharing.
Just the liquid content 🙂
My sister gave me this idea but she says to take 1tab spoon a day and it will work I’ve been taking it is this correct?? Confused
Hi Maddie — Sure, you can do 1 tablespoon up to 2-3 tablespoons. See what works for you and be sure to listen to your body. 🙂
This is a good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere.
Brief but very precise info… Many thanks for sharing this one.
A must read article!
I read about this remedy awhile ago. I tried it last week and it really helped. I
made it for a friend today I am hoping it helps her too. Question is how often should you drink it before feeling better?
It all depends on what is wrong 🙂 Minor colds will take a shorter time than those nasty, winter sicknesses!
I read on a website/post somewhere a few days ago when I first heard of this that you can just keep adding to the jar. Do you do this or just make a new jar? I can’t find where I saw it and have already gone through about half my jar! The first couple of drinks I took a couple of slices of lemon out but not sure if I should or not??? It makes it so much easier than squeezing a lemon every time when you’re not feeling well. 🙁
Hi Di! We personally do not refill the jar, or squeeze a lemon every time we use this mixture. Once we run out of liquid in the jar, we just make a new one 🙂
I made this in January and it has been in the fridge ever since. Will it still be okay? I never felt like I was coming down with a cold … but I want to use it before it goes bad.
Thanks!
I would still use it. 🙂
Question?? How long can you keep this in the fridge? How long does it last?
You can store it for a few months— yet I have a feeling you will use it up before that. It’s some good stuff!
Hi there, can’t wait to try this, have a cold at the moment and the kids are all clogged up so may try this on them too. If I don’t have a glass jar to make this in, is it possible to make this in a plastic container and will it still hold for the same time? thanks
Hi Norah— sorry to hear you are all sick. You can definitely use a plastic jar to store this. By prepping and combining all ingredients at once it saves you time each day from making the tea from scratch. All you do is heat up some water and drop a big scoop of this into it and you have some soothing tea. Get well soon.
Hey i just made it, but how long should i let it be in the fridge before i can use it?
Hi, my mom is currently sick with the flu. I wanted to make this for her but was wondering how long I have to let it sit before she can use it?
Thanks
Your poor mom! You actually don’t need to let it sit— just scoop out a few tablespoons and add boiling water to it. Give it a few minutes to cool down and then have her sip. Hope she feels better soon Chelsea.
Hope you all feel better! There seems to be a lot going around lately.
I get sick every time winter rears its ugly head. I am sick now so I couldn’t wait to try this. So far, I am loving it. Hoping it can help me with this terrible cough.
Hope it helps Ryan!
thank you! My son is sick and we’ve been drinking this all week. Even my healthy kids are asking for it. I’ve been adding more honey and/or lemon/ginger as they deplete the bottle. This has such a refreshing taste with a perfect amount of sweetness.
This is such a great idea! I discovered your amazing website after following you on instagram for some time. You ladies and your incredible recipes and creative ideas continue to inspire my family and I. Thank you!!
P.S- love the simple format of this website, you guys are great.
Awww, thanks Monica! I appreciate the kind words and glad you like the website. I spent a lot of time on that baby. 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe! I made a batch and added Cinnamon sticks, a teaspoon of ground Tumeric, tsp crushed garlic and a tsp of ground cayenne pepper (all for health benifits), I also added about a tsp of ground cinnamon. It came out great! I layer mine which it came out perfect! Thanks for sharing!
Cinnamon sticks would be soooo yummy! Glad you enjoyed and hope it helps you when you need something soothing!
Hi Nicole. I’ve had it in the fridge for 2 months and it was fine. Honey is a natural preservative, which is awesome. I’ve heard of people storing it in the fridge for 4 months, but mine is gone before then.