Herbal Remedies & DIY Gifts for Winter
by Melissa Fryar, HBC Manager
The final month of the year and all of the busy that comes with it is here. Unfortunately, what also comes seems to be colds and flu.
I wanted to share a bit of my favorite foods and herbal blends for boosting immunity, and treating some of the symptoms of the typical colds and funk that winter often brings. Food wise, this is where preparing in the fall comes in handy. I know when I’m already sick, it’s not the time to try to get in the kitchen and create soothing foods or teas, so a little prep can go a long way. It is not too late! This is a perfect time to create some herbal essentials and share them as gifts as well.
My essentials:
Elderberry syrup
Fire cider – include some seasonal goodness like citrus, cranberries, pine needles, etc.
Immune Paste by Rosemary Gladstar:
1 cup tahini
½ cup miso
2-6 garlic cloves
1 tbsp astragalus powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Mix all together well. Store in the fridge and add a dollop to soups and stews, or spread onto bread or crackers. Will keep a couple months when refrigerated.
You know I must mention broth (again). I always have broth in both the fridge and freezer for times of illness, meal prep, and when I just want a nourishing hot beverage. It is so easy to heat up a cup or two and add the immune paste mentioned above, or a hearty scoop of medicinal mushrooms to boost overall immunity.
Here is a nice herbal medicinal broth that I make regularly:
6 shiitake mushrooms
1 reishi mushroom (or a handful of reishi slices)
1 oz maitake mushrooms
5 or 6 slices astragalus root
3 jujube dates
2 dandelion roots (or about ¼ cup dried dandelion root)
1 piece kombu
4 carrots
1 large onion (cut and include skin)
1 bunch parsley
3 tsp thyme leaf
5 cloves of garlic
Bonus: 1 ginseng root if available
1 gallon water
Add all together in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and let cook, covered for 2-4 hours. Strain, label, and freeze ½ for a sickly day. I use the broth as an addition to soups, savory oatmeal, or drink it as is with a dash of tamari and some extra garlic.
A note on the lovely allium family: garlic and onions are so soothing to the lungs, so adding these to your regular meals can help respiration. One of my favorite “sick foods” is simply onions sliced into rounds and coated with a spicy curry powder and sauteed in coconut oil or ghee. My Mamaw was a fan of the onion poultice for lung congestion or “croup” as she called it. Chop up an onion coarsely and blanch for about 1 minute in boiling water. Scoop the onion into some cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and place (as hot as is comfortable) over chest until it cools. I have seen this soothe even extreme lung congestion like pneumonia and bronchitis.
Another great lung formula is also by Rosemary Gladstar and is my favorite lung tea:
1 part wild cherry bark
1 part marshmallow root
1 part ginger
1 part slippery elm bark
3 parts fennel
2 parts licorice root
½ part cinnamon
½ part orange peel
Prepare as a decoction, adding 4 heaping tablespoons to a quart of water and simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain and drink warm to soothe sore throats and coughs. Add honey if desired.
There are not only terrific foods and herbs to take internally, but several topical aids that can help as well. I am a huge fan of herbal pillows (usually a fabric pouch filled with rice and herbs to place in the microwave) to place around the neck or on the chest with an herbal vapor rub. Foot baths and body baths are also a wonderful way to get the benefits of herbs.
Flu Soother essential oil blend:
6 drops eucalyptus
4 drops lavender
2 drops peppermint
2 drops rosemary
3 drops ravensare
Blend together and make an atomizer for air and pillows (place in 4 oz spray bottle with a tbsp or so of vodka, then fill with distilled water or a hydrosol). You can also add this to epsom salts for baths, place in a carrier oil to massage chest and feet, or simply add a couple of drops to a hot washcloth and place over forehead or face.
Another favorite bath blend of mine, Wellness bath salts:
1 cup salt blend (I love epsom, dead sea, and course sea salt)
2 Tbsp ginger root powder
2 Tbsp mustard seed powder
Mix together well and add 10 drops of the above essential oil blend or your choice of: balsam fir, eucalyptus, rosemary, or ravensare.
I use about ¼ cup for foot baths or the entire cup for a full body bath. Soak happy!
I hope that these suggestions keep you healthy and happy this season!
Other HBC goings on:
It is the holiday season! This can be such a busy and even downright crazy time, but I work hard to soak in the lovely moments: putting together a display of bath bombs or beeswax candles, creating a solstice tea each year, feeling the chill in the morning air and smelling wood fires, and gathering pine needles, holly berries, and other greenery to decorate with. I also enjoy creating herbal goodies for gifts, and of course watching cheesy Netflix holiday movies.
As someone who is weary of the consumer culture, I cannot hate gifting to those I love. My commitment this holiday season is to buy even more local products, useful food gifts, and more sustainable products. There are many fairs and holiday markets in town. Please consider supporting them this season if you celebrate! Of course, we have filled the shelves with local, fair trade, and sustainable gifts.
Some ethically-sourced gift ideas from the HBC Department:
Andes Gifts alpaca blend scarves, hats, gloves, and leg warmers
Women of the Cloud Forest wood vessels and kitchenware items
Santa’s Natural Balsam Fir Candles (a crowd favorite every year!)
Sooo many candles! The beeswax are our favorite. Gnomes coming soon! This is my second favorite gift to give and receive (first is books, of course). Sharing light in the dark season is just one of the best things.
Patcha Bath Bombs in regular and holiday scents
Sow the Magic bodycare treats (bonus-Local!)
Asheville Tea Company has restocked our shelves, so locally grown teas are back! Spiced Apple Butter should land in a week or two.
Republic of Tea holiday blends are in!
Many decadent bodycare treat for gifts and stockings. Some of the staff favorites include Calamus & Honey’s Florida Water, Evan Healy’s line of regenerative face care (try the new Manuka mask and the Tremella Sea Moss Moisturizer-yum!), Moon Valley Organics holiday foaming soaps, and soaps by Gypsy Bee and Fairie Made (both local).
If you are looking to DIY, y’all know we are the place for everything from bulk shea butter to bottles and salve jars, jojoba oil to epsom salts.
Another simple gift idea: make a shea whip to nourish winter skin.
Solstice Shea Whip
To a stand mixer, add about 2 cups of shea butter
Start the mixer on low to medium and let whip for a minute or two.
Add about 1oz. of herbal oil (calendula, st. john’s wort, comfrey, etc.)
Add a bit of vitamin E if desired
Add about 20 drops (or to your preference) of essential oils. My favorite seasonal blends are balsam fir and vanilla (you can use vanilla extract if you do not have the essential oil) frankincense & myrrh, or cinnamon and orange.
Let the shea and oils mix well and package it up.
Done! It takes about 10 minutes to whip up a batch, and you know exactly what is in your product. A bonus is to add sugar if you want to make it into a sugar scrub for the bath or shower.
I hope that you have found a bit of inspiration and fun in all of this. Of course, let us know if you have questions or cannot find what you are looking for. Thank you for letting us be part of your holiday traditions and thank you for supporting local!
All of us here wish you a lovely holiday season full of warmth, great food, and pure joy. See you in 2026!
Melissa
HBC Manager