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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
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.
Can you take the lemon peel off or should you keep it on?
Hey Marlene!
We leave the peel on, but if you prefer the peel off, go for it. (The peel does have health enzymes in it.)
I have been getting organic Meyer lemons and leave the peel on it. Once the tea is gone, I chew on the lemon (and peel). It tastes delicious!
Would it be ok to use turmeric instead of ginger? Or aside from the ginger can i add turmeric to the recipe?
YES! Please do, if you prefer turmeric over ginger! 🙂
Are lemon and honey important for sore throat ? If it really useful for sore throat i’m happy to follow this ideas in this post. Thanks for your advice!
Hello Celestine!
Lemon: High in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant vital to a strong immune system and neutralize the activity of free radicals in the body, reducing the inflammation and swelling caused by free radicals in the body.
Ginger: Promotes a healthy sweating that aids in the detoxification of the body, which is often helpful when you have a cold or flu. Ginger is also helpful for settling upset stomachs, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and cold sweating.
Honey: Soothes a sore throats, making it an effective and natural cough suppressant. Honey may also boost the body’s immune system by aiding in the production of white blood cells. This improves the body’s ability to fight infection and decreases the risk of fevers. The natural sweetness of honey also balances the tartness of the lemon and the ginger’s spice, giving honey, lemon and ginger tea its soothing flavor.
Hope that helps. 🙂
Can I take a slice of lemon and ginger and a tbsp of the liquid to make a hot drink? I read somewhere that leaving the lemon inside the jar will have a bitter taste. is it true? do I have to use raw honey? or jus normal honey from the supermarket?
Hi Alice,
You make take a slice of lemon and ginger if you’d like. We prefer raw honey because it is unprocessed. Many honeys that aren’t classified as “raw” are usually processed.
I just made the recipe, except I used the regular honey we had around the house: it’s all natural but it’s not labelled raw. Will it still work?
Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try it!
Seems like it should work fine, Fiona!
Good morning, I purchased raw honey from the Vitamin Shop. My question is its solid and almost creamy white not the golden liquid that is pictured on your site..Is there something I should do to get it to that form?
That’s totally how it’s supposed to be, Filomena! 🙂
I need more remedies for my roomI need more remedies for my flu?
I need more feeling properties
Is it necessary to store this in a glass container or would another container be ok?
Another container would work, Cheryl 🙂
Hello! This looks wonderful and I just made a batch! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
I have a few questions:
Is it okay to use a larger jar and only fill up halfway? Not sure if there is a reason why it should be filled up all the way.
Also, do you think using this as a “tea” on a regular basis is okay and will help prevent colds?
And finally, is there an ideal amount of time this should sit before using?
Thanks again!
I would at least let it sit overnight, Natalie 🙂 You don’t need to fill it to the top, and you can drink on a regular basis if you’d like!
I’m wondering if you need to scrub the ginger? It’s not peeled, right?
You should scrub it like you would a potato when the skin is still on 🙂
As this starts to deplete, can I just add more honey? Or should I make another batch?
Add more honey if the batch is relatively fresh. If you’ve had it in your fridge for a couple of months, then you may just want to make a whole new jar 🙂
I’m vegan. What could I use instead of honey with the same benefits and plantbased? Would Agave syrup be a good alternative? Thanks for your great posts, recipes and website 😉 Namaste 🙂
It could be, Thomas… We don’t have an answer for this at the moment, though 🙁
Just made a batch of this and it tastes great! I didn’t have any fresh ginger handy though; I hope it’s okay that I subbed ground ginger because I could really use the relief.
Yay, Jessica! Try fresh ginger next time because the healing properties are incredibly more when fresh. 🙂
Great post. I definitely will try. Can you please post sources for your information on the properties of lemon, ginger and honey? Thanks!
Thanks a lot, I will try that.
I am grateful for the recipe because I have been looking for something more natural for my family as I am tired of using all those chemicals found in pharmaceutical drugs. Is it fine if I give a teaspoon (w/o hot water) to my daughter every morning? Is it safe to drink without adding hot water as my daughter doesn’t like hot drinks, or should I rather add hot water, let it cool off, then let her drink it?
Hi Wendy, I would warm it with the hot water and let it cool off a bit until she can drink it. 🙂