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When flu and cold season kicks into gear, I start wiping down the shopping carts, blending elderberry smoothies, and making this homemade ginger lemon honey tea. It’s the best way I’ve found to treat a cold, cough, or flu naturally.
Ginger Lemon Honey Tea is a natural cold remedy drink that combines ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties, lemon’s vitamin C boost, and honey’s soothing qualities. This homemade tea for congestion helps relieve symptoms and supports the immune system, providing comfort during cold and flu season.
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.
- Fresh ginger root: Found in the produce section.
- Raw honey: The natural sweetness of honey balances the tartness of the lemon + ginger. Use raw or manuka honey for the best results.
How to Make Ginger Lemon Honey Tea
This ginger honey tea is perfect for soothing a sore throat and providing a comforting beverage in just a few minutes. You can always 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:
- Slice lemons and ginger and alternate layering into an airtight jar (ex: mason jar).
- Slowly, pour honey over the lemons and ginger and fill jar to the top. Seal tightly.
- Store in the refrigerator until needed.
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.
Ginger Lemon Honey Tea Benefits
I use this all-natural home remedies for cough as my first defense when we do get sick. It tastes amazing, makes me feel better quickly and speeds up recovery. Here’s why…
- Reduces the inflammation and swelling in the body when fighting off a common cold. Lemons are high in vitamin C, which helps boost the immune system and neutralize the free radicals in the body.
- Breaks down mucus and alleviates congestion: Lemon has natural acidity to help break down mucus as well as alleviate congestion.
- Helps you sweat out the toxins in your body, which is helpful when you have a cold or flu. Ginger contains a bioactive compound called gingerol, which is known to be the strong medicinal part of ginger. It’s also a helpful home remedy for cough, settling upset stomachs, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweats.
- Natural cough suppressant thanks to the honey. It can also improve the body’s ability to fight infection and decrease the risk of fevers.
Common Questions
Lemon ginger honey tea offers numerous health benefits, including boosting the immune system, aiding digestion, and relieving cold symptoms. 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 Home Remedies for Cold and Flu
Thirteen years ago, I went on a wellness journey to discover the best home remedies for coughs, colds, flu, and whatever came our way. 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% here for it.
- Rawkstar 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
- 12-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 made this last night and made a hot cup of tea with 2T of this today and it was very good,slightly sweet, but I think it soothed my throat. It does gel up and the favors meld together quite nicely. I plan to use it some green tea tomorrow-yumm!!
PS. I only used hot water like your recipe stated,but will try in tea tomorrow
PS. I only used hot water like your recipe stated,but will try in tea tomorrow
Glad you are enjoying this recipe, Sonni. Cheers!
This is a great recipe What I usually do is make a pot or cup of green tea (great antioxidants), squeeze in lemon to taste, add 1/4 tsp of ground ginger (if making a pot add 1/2 tsp.) and 1 tsp of honey per cup.
I think the next time I’m out I’ll buy the ingredients for your recipe and give it a try..but I would like to know it’s “best used by” time.
Hi L.
Thanks for joining us! 🙂 Sounds like a great idea with the green tea.
We haven’t had it in our fridge long enough to know how long the actually keep time is. The longest I’ve had it in my fridge is a month, give or take. Once we make it, we use it up pretty quickly.
This actually keeps for a very long time. (well over 6 months) You can keep it in the fridge or in your pantry. The longer it sits, it becomes like a marmalade. Given the citrus acid and “sugar” of the honey, it’s going to take quite alot for this stuff to spoil!
Both the lemon & honey are great preservatives, given to us by nature. My husband loves this stuff when he has a head or chest cold.
Is this the tea or do you add tea? How long does it sit in the refrigerator?
Hi Pamela.
No need to add extra tea, you could if you want, but we usually scoop some out and put it in hot water. Great question. We haven’t had it in our fridge long enough to know how long the actually keep time is. The longest I’ve had it in my fridge is a month, give or take. Once we make it, we use it up pretty quickly.
As soon as I was saying I thought I was getting a cold, I got the email with this recipe. I’m making it now and I was wondering, what is the minimum time I can leave it in the fridge? Thank you!
Hope you feel better soon, Sophie. 🙂
How long do I need to let it sit before using it?
You can use it right away, Susan.
But it wont be a jelly yet?
Can you just make it with the 3 ingredients anytime?
It won’t be jelly right away, and yes you can make it 3 ingredients anytime. 🙂
I was wondering the same….how long does it keep in the fridge?
Hi Tricia.
Great question. We haven’t had it in our fridge long enough to know how long the actually keep time is. The longest I’ve had it in my fridge is a month, give or take. Once we make it, we use it up pretty quickly.
How long will this keep in the fridge?
Hey Deanna.
Great question. We haven’t had it in our fridge long enough to know how long the actually keep time is. The longest I’ve had it in my fridge is a month, give or take. Once we make it, we use it up pretty quickly.
If your allergic to citrus what can you use as a substitute for the lemon?
Thanks, Y
Hi Yvette.
You can leave the lemon out if you are allergic. Hope that helps.
Great Post!
I’d like to suggest also making a red onion syrup where the onions are covered in honey until the “juice” from the onion is pulled out. Red onions are important because of the quercetin contained in the red/purple color. Secondly, the liquid onion syrup is good for coughs (it can also be made with any kind of sugar layered with onions, but the honey is better. The concoction must be soaked and shaken every day for about 2 weeks to reach highest potency before taking.
Second suggestion is a “tea” concoction with hot water, lemon slice, dash of cayenne and touch of honey. I’m guessing you may have heard of this recipe..
Thanks for the suggestions, Lorie. 🙂
Does “2 piece of fresh ginger (about the size of your pointer and middle finger)” mean a 2-inch piece of ginger which has a root with a thickness of my pointer and middle finger held together?
Ginger IS a root.
Hey Carmen.
Yes, that sound about right. Ginger can be hard to measure, since ever piece varies.
This is exactly what I needed, Amazing! Thank you!
YAY! Happy to help!
Seems nice! I do it in another way though; when I was in hospital and just got my first child and had a terrible cough a midwife gave me this tip and I’ve been making it ever since (5 years): I peel a piece of ginger, I shred it in a jug, pour boiling water over it and let it stay so til I think it’s spicy enough, 15-30 min. Pour it in a mug, like half of the mug, then more hot water over and some lemon and a spoon honey, makes a great tea! Keep the rest of the ginger-tea in the fridge and make a cup of tea at least one time a day during the cold or just to keep the flu away!
Thanks for sharing, Linda. I am glad these ingredients have helped you in the past. Cheers + Happy Holidays.
Hi!
Made this last night and it smells amazing!
Question though…how long should it take to start to turn to jelly?!
Thanks x
We usually have used it up before it is a solid jelly, but it would take a few weeks. 🙂
Thanks!
It’s going down a treat! May have to make some more soon!
I am pretty sure the vitamin C will lose its potency long before 2 months. Why not keep the honey & ginger in the fridge and add fresh lemon when you are ready to drink it?
That’s another great idea, Joellen. 🙂
Do you scoop out just the honey in warm water? OR do you put some lemon and ginger in the water too?
Hey Amy.
Great question. Scoop out the honey and a piece of lemon and ginger. 🙂
One of the Hockey Mom’s (Coaches Wife) made this for her husband says he really liked it and it helped a lot. I would like to try it. But what is raw honey? Can you use the BillyBee Honey?
Hey Sheila.
Thanks for the comment! 🙂 Raw honey would mean that is uncooked to make sure all the nutrients and enzymes are still in there. If you can’t find a honey at your store with the label ‘raw’ then go ahead and use BillyBee. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it.