In the Medicine Cabinet - Master Tonic

So either I have gone over the deep edge OR I have found something useful.  Time will tell.  Here is the story behind my Master Tonic adventure.

First let me start by saying that we RARELY get sick at our house.  We seem to have strong immune systems since paying attention to what we eat.  It is a wonderful thing to have a child still in grade school who rarely brings any viruses home to us.  Even when she succumbs to illness, it is short lasted and my husband and I avoid it completely. 

We don't really believe in taking medications unless absolutely necessary either.  So NO FLU shot for any of us.  I believe they can do more harm than good and despite my personal friendly physician's disapproval, we will not get vaccinated.  Of course the only time she sees us for the last 2 years is when I go to Dr. appointments with my mother.  Then I get a hug from my doctor, get "bugged" about never seeing her anymore, and harassed to get my annual flu vaccine.  No Thank You.

But I am not crazy enough to believe that my body will never get attacked by a virus.  And when it does, we will feel sick.  I will not take any medication (even Tylenol) when that happens unless I am absolutely without any other options. 

Now just recently I came across something called Master Tonic.  If the right foods have improved our health to this extent, what if the right foods could go a step further and become our "medication".  This Master Tonic is made from whole foods and is reported to reduce cold and flu symptoms and aid the body to fight infection.  As I looked over the list of ingredients, I decided that the claims could really be true.  The ingredients in my Master Tonic are all filled with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, immune-boosting properties.  So what the heck?  Are you ready to learn what it is?

Here is the picture of 2 jars of this Master Tonic in my pantry.  It will keep practically forever in these jars, as it is based in vinegar.   And the way you take it is to drink 1/2 to 1 ounce of this daily at the first sign of cold or flu.  So when we feel ill around here, I will let you know how it works.  But I will tell you that many people swear by it!

Master Tonic Recipe

In a glass jar combine equal parts of:

Finely chopped white onion
Finely chopped garlic cloves
Finely chopped hot or jalepeno peppers
Finely chopped horseradish root
Finely chopped ginger

Fill the glass jar about 3/4 full of equal parts of those solid ingredients and then fill the jar to the top with good quality unfiltered and unprocessed apple cider vinegar.  Cover the jar and leave covered on the counter for 2 weeks.  Then strain the solids out and reserve the liquid.  That is your master tonic.

Easy, huh?  Wait a minute.. I should warn you about a few things I found along the way in preparing this awesome tincture.

Buy good quality organic ingredients first of all.  Fresh is best.  Organic is great too! 

I bought the ingredients at Whole Foods in fairly small amounts, and took them home to chop up a few weeks ago.  I had never worked with horseradish or ginger root before so I didn't know what to expect.  I chopped them individually in the food processor and put each chopped ingredient in a separate bowl so I could measure equal amounts into my glass jar.  It was very pretty with all those wonderful things layered in my jar.

Be careful... this stuff is POTENT.  OMG.  Mike came home from the office at noon the day I was chopping this stuff and the house REEKED of garlic, onion, and horseradish.  My hands actually stung a bit under the nails and my eyes were watering but my sinuses were clearer than they had been in months!  I was careful not to touch my eyes or mouth during prep...  maybe I should have worn gloves... but I was grateful to let the blades of the food processor do all the work!  I am certainly glad I did not try to chop it all with a knife and cutting board!

Horseradish root is like wood.  It is HARD!  I thought my poor food processor was going to overheat chopping that one.  I peeled the horseradish and ginger a bit before processing it and I did take the seeds from the jalepenos as well before chopping them.

After adding the chopped ingredients and vinegar to the jar, I covered it and left it on the counter for the 2 weeks.  The experience and smells during chopping it all were a vague memory until today when I opened the jar.

OH MY GOODNESS.. straining the solids out of the vinegar solution made the whole house reek again.  Now mind you, this is not really a bad reek... just sinus clearing, mind blowing, knock you off your feet SMELLY. 

Journey watched me strain the vinegar out and I told her she would have to drink it if she got sick.  She thought I was kidding at first but when she found out I wasn't, her response was "I am never telling you if I feel sick again".  OK.. .. .. I guess perfect attendance at school is in our future as long as I have a jar of Master Tonic in the cupboard then.  Not a bad side effect.  :)

So what to do with all those wonderful vinegar soaked chopped vegetables?  Well, not being one to waste anything, I read that you could save the chopped pieces and add them to soups, etc, in small quantities so then I had the dilemma of how to save them.  I was looking high and low for ice cube trays to freeze little bits in when Journey had the great idea to dehydrate them.  After all, I use dehydrated celery and carrots and onions in soups and stews all the time with great success, so why not this?

So I spread all that chopped goodness with healing powers in it on a dehydrator tray and started "cooking" it again. 

OK, I have to tell you that while I think the dehydrating idea was sort of brilliant on it's own, I am now trapped inside on a cold day in a house that smells like, well, onion, garlic, horseradish, ginger, and jalepeno peppers.  The aroma is about to knock me out and I can't wait until my dear friend and neighbor steps inside my front door this afternoon to pick up Girl Scout cookies because I know she will have something colorful to say about the smells that greet her at the door... or maybe outside in the driveway.

If taking a shot of this tonic does half as much sinus clearing as just being around the smell of it does, there is NO WAY a virus inside us can live through that assault.  Now the challenge will be to decide what kind of chaser to use if we ever have to actually drink this tonic (and I will).

So by now, you are either thinking me loony OR applauding my brilliance, fortitude, and commitment to natural wellness.