It’s never fun getting sick, especially this year! Today, I’m sharing my tried and true, all-natural home remedies for cough. I recommend making these remedies in advance, so that they’re ready for cold and flu season. This ginger lemon honey tea actually works, and not just as a home remedy for a sore throat.

Designed to soothe + heal, these ingredients will actually shorten the life of your cold.

lemon honey ginger tea concentrate in a glass jar.
Table of Contents
  1. Ginger Lemon Honey Tea Recipe
  2. Why I Believe in Natural Remedies
  3. Home Remedies for Cold and Flu
  4. Tried and True Storage Tips
  5. Ginger Lemon Honey Tea Recipe

Ginger Lemon Honey Tea Recipe

I made this concoction of fresh lemon, ginger, and raw local honey (best purchased seasonally) to prepare for when the germs start spreading. Now, I keep it in the fridge. At the first sign of a cold or flu, I just scoop out a few tablespoons, add hot water, and enjoy this delicious home remedy for cough.

This is hands down the best way I’ve ever found to treat a cold, cough or flu naturally. No joke. It tastes amazing, makes me feel great instantly and I quickly recover. Why is that?

Ginger lemon honey tea for cough home remedy in a glass jar surrounded by sliced ingredients.

Home Remedy Ingredients

Lemons are high in vitamin C (especially the pith, aka the white part we all usually avoid!). Vitamin C helps boost the immune system and neutralize the free radicals in the body. This reduces the inflammation and swelling in the body when fighting off a common cold. Lemon also has natural acidity that helps break down mucous as well as alleviate congestion

Ginger contains a bioactive compound called gingerol, which is known to be the strong medicinal part of ginger. Helps you sweat out the toxins in your body, which is helpful when you have a cold or flu. Ginger is also a helpful home remedy for cough, settling upset stomachs, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and cold sweats. First found in Southeast Asia, this powerful root not only helps fight the common cold, but also free radicals and inflammation, according to research by the US National Library of Medicine.

Interested in adding more ginger power to your diet? Check out all of our recipes featuring this amazing and powerful root in our member’s only meal planner. We have 50+ recipes in Rawk the Year that contain ginger – everything from smoothies to soups to cookies and more!

Honey is a natural cough suppressant (Which explains why the most effective cough drops use honey). It also 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 + ginger, giving this ginger lemon honey tea its soothing flavor. Raw honey is used to treat a whole host of ailments, including cancer.

homemade tea concentrate to help with sore throats in a glass jar on a wooden counter top.

Why I Believe in Natural Remedies

As the weather gets windier and colder, flu and cold season kicks into gear. I get a little obsessive; wiping down the shopping cart like crazy, washing my hands numerous times a day, as well as gulping down my immune boosting green smoothies.

Yet no matter what I do, I get one cold every year. That’s why I’ve come to rely on my home remedies for cough. I’ve used them for years, so I know that they work for me. Many store-bought treatments contain harmful food dyes, processed sugar, along with other chemicals.

If I’m not willing to eat those on the regular, then why would I turn to them when my immune system is down?! The whole food, plant-based ingredients used in these home remedies for sore throat and cough are often cheaper, and are definitely healthier than over the counter meds. They also have natural healing properties.

large mason jar of one of the home remedies for cough.

Home Remedies for Cold and Flu

In winters past, I hit the drugstore to load up on medicine and cough drops when my annual cold hit… yet I never felt better using them. They tasted gross and I woke up feeling even worse. That’s when I decided there had to be a better way—something that was natural and made to heal the body.

Seven years ago, I went on my own wellness warrior journey to discover the best home remedies for cough. Since I learned about so many incredible remedies, I created a whole medicine cabinet of plant based cures. Read on for a few of my tried and true favs:

  • Elderberry syrup: can be taken daily, and taken multiple times a day when experiencing cold or flue 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: The recipe below has a whole host of benefits, just like the others on this list. I love this recipe for allergies, when I feel any kind of sickness coming on, or if I’m in the middle of a full blown cold.

Practical Uses for Home Remedies

Typically, when I start to feel a tickle in my throat, a stuffy nose, or the body aches, I grab a shot of fire cider. My kids and I take homemade elderberry syrup on the daily throughout the winter.

I use the vapor rub if congestion is keeping me from sleeping, and my son Jackson also uses it to help with seasonal allergies. This ginger lemon honey tea recipe can be sipped throughout the day as a home remedy for cough, sore throat, or the flu.

ingredients for lemon honey ginger tea, including honey, ginger root, and whole lemon.
pouring raw honey into this home remedy for cough.

Tried and True Storage Tips

Have you noticed I use an awful lot of mason jars? There’s a reason why Mr. John Mason’s jars have been a popular storage favorite for over a century! I love them not just for serving green smoothies, but for storing this healthful home remedy for cough recipe. These days you can find them anywhere from antique shops to grocery stores. I often buy mine at a local feed supply store.

Please let me know in the comments below if you’ve tried this natural remedies for cough recipe for ginger lemon honey tea, or any of the other home remedies for sore throats (and a whole host of other ailments!) I’ve created. I’d love to know how they work for your family.

Home remedy for sore throat in a glass jar with honey, lemon and ginger.
All natural ginger honey lemon tea cough remedy in a glass jar.
4.95 from 54 votes

Ginger Lemon Honey Tea

This home remedy for cough and cold is my go-to! You can make this immunity boosting, body soothing concoction ahead of time and store in the fridge. I usually keep my mixture for about two months or until we use it all up.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Author: Jen Hansard
Course: Beverage, Natural Remedy
Cuisine: Healing, Plant-Based
Serves: 10 servings

Ingredients  

  • 2 lemons organic
  • 2 inch ginger root
  • 1 cup 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, 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 53mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 5IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 8mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Show me!Mention @SimpleGreenSmoothies or tag #SimpleGreenSmoothies!

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Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Hi drink at least 2 cups of this every single day. It replaced my coffee and it’s refreshing. I also like it cold.
    I don’t think I can even count how many people that I’ve given this recipe to.

  2. This isn’t specifically a remedy from you, but my go-to for sore throats is mullien tea with raw honey. It’s amazing!

  3. Can you can this to make it shelf stable and still receive the healing benefits?

    1. Hi Kaitlyn! I’d def recommend storing in the fridge and only making the tea at the time of consumption.

  4. How long is it good to store in a fridge for? For a jar with a lid that’s already popped? And how long is it good for in the fridge if it is a mason jar? Thanks!

    1. Hi Courtney! The “concentrate” in this recipe will stay good in the refrigerator for a couple of months or even a little longer as long as it’s well sealed in something like a mason jar!

    1. Hi Brenda – you just pour hot water over your Ginger Lemon Honey mixture. These are the only 4 ingredients you need to make this tea! 🙂 Perfect for a sore throat and congestion.

  5. 5 stars
    I’ve done this in the past, it’s great I love having it available. Could I use oranges with the same positive benefits? I have several oranges on hand right now and no lemons.

    1. Hey Sherry – that’s a great question.
      You could definitely swap the oranges for lemons for this recipe and you’d get the right amount of Vitamin C, however, lemons are more acidic than oranges. The higher acid content in the lemons helps break down mucous way, which alleviates congestion, way better than oranges do. So, there are some extra benefits to using lemons, but feel free to use the oranges for a great boost of Vitamin C. 🙂

  6. Another question. I used the 12 oz jar and it was all the way to the top. Not enough room for all the lemon or honey. Should I use smaller lemons or maybe cut the slices in half or perhaps use a quart jar? Thank you. I’m trying to find a recipe that will help my daddy’s chronic coughing. All X-rays and test are negative, just can’t shake a post Covid cost. Thank you so much for your input. Really hoping this recipe works. Just want to make sure I’m mixing it right.

    1. Hey here Mitzi, I’m sorry to hear that your dad has such a bad cough. That’s very sweet that you’re doing what you can to help. Use as large of a container as you need, but also, don’t be afraid of pushing the ginger slices and lemon slices down. Thinner sliced will be more easily packed into the jar. You may also need to pour the honey in as you go, rather than waiting until the end.

      This Bieler’s Blended Vegetable Soup is packed with nutrition, that may help boost his immune system. My only caution is to remember that overcooking vegetables can take away some of their nutrition, so watch out for that. Second, some Elderberry Syrup could also help his body fight back. Peace, love, and leafy greens, Mitza!

    2. 5 stars
      I boil my ginger and lemon for a few and then add in honey. Sometimes a little chopped onion. Drinking some now, woke up coughing from a cold.
      I also rub a little eucalyptus on my chest and temples and put some in diffuser, its going now. Love the tea

    1. Drink as often as you’d like, keeping in mind any prior conditions or medications that may be affected by lemon or sugars from honey.

  7. How long do you need to let it sit before it turns into the jelly substance to be able to use it

    1. Hi Dana, that’s a great question. You can use it right away, just make sure you include the slices of lemon and bits of ginger in your mug!

  8. I’m confused… in an older post, a question was asked how long it stores in the refrigerator, answer was 5-7 days. Days? This is only good in the refrigerator for 5-7 days? I figured it would last longer then last. How fast does it turn into a loose jelly?

    1. I’m so sorry Heather on the contradicting information. Yes, the Ginger Lemon Honey Tea “concentrate” in this recipe will stay good in the refrigerator for a couple of months or even a little longer as long as it’s well sealed.

    2. 5 stars
      I boil my ginger and lemon for a few and then add in honey. Sometimes a little chopped onion. Drinking some now, woke up coughing from a cold.
      I also rub a little eucalyptus on my chest and temples and put some in diffuser, its going now. Love the tea!

    1. Great question, Emily! I keep mine refrigerated for about 2-3 months. It’s usually gone in 2, but it’s safe for up to 3. 🙂

    1. If sealed well, this can last up to 5-7 days in the fridge.

  9. 5 stars
    Hi! How soon after preparing this can it be used? Does it need to sit for a certain amount of time first? Thanks for a great looking recipe!

    1. Great question, Melissa! After the mixture concentrate is prepared, you can start using right away to make your tea. Be sure to let the amount you mix into your hot water steep for 2-3 minutes before you start to sip. Stay well!