Ginger Lemon Echinacea Get Well Tea in a Jar
When I’m feeling a little under the weather, this get well tea is what I drink to warm me and sooth my throat. I call it tea, because that’s how I drink it, but one could also just as easily call it jam. It gives you the flavors of fresh lemon and ginger, but can actually be canned and live on your shelf until you need it. Simply stir a spoonful into hot water or tea for an instant, slightly sweet, ginger, and lemon, echinacea tea. And if you like the label I used on my jars, scroll down because I included a link for you to print them at home.
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About the Sick Tea Ingredients
Let’s start with a big disclaimer- I am not a doctor, I don’t have any sort of medical training, nor do I have education about nutrition. This recipe is not a substitute for seeking medical help. Because of that I’m not making any medical claims about this “get well tea”. It’s simply something that I felt made me feel a little better when trying to get over coughs, colds, and COVID, and there is some evidence that some of the ingredients might help you when you’re feeling a little under the weather. So let’s get into it.
This get-well tea has five simple ingredients, four of which may help you feel better. Lots of the flavor comes from fresh ginger which has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It’s been shown to help sooth a sore throat, protect and help heal from disease, and some people find it helps with nausea. Echinacea flowers is another ingredient in this tea, that is commonly taken to help with coughs and colds. It’s a flower native to the Americas, where it has been used medicinally for hundreds of years. It boasts a large amount of different antioxidants. It is great at helping boost your immune system (which really benefits you more before you’re sick, but still neat). It is also an anti-inflammatory and can help reduce pain, and interestingly can possibly help a little with anxiety. Another ingredient is lemon. There is mixed evidence that the vitamin C in citrus can help reduce the length of a cold. Other studies have shown that lemon juice can help cut loosen mucus and reduce congestion (especially when paired with hot water). Finally, we also used pectin both to set our tea and to make it safe for canning. But there’s more- it actually occurred to me to try making this tea after I stirred a spoonful of jelly into my tea (for sugar) and felt my throat start to calm. There is some evidence that pectin can coat your irritated throat and provide some relief- in fact, many throat lozenges contain pectin. It also may help with digestion and acid reflux. The final ingredient is sugar, which I’ve included only for taste (and for a little mental pick me up).
Looking for Lemon Recipes? Try one of these!
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Looking for Ginger Recipes? Try one of these!
- Ginger Walnut Lettuce Cups with Persimmons
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How to Make Get Well Tea
I call it tea, but what we’re making is actually a jam. I know it’s a little confusing- essentially we’re going to be making a jam and storing it in our pantries, but when it comes time to eat it, we’ll instead be melting it into hot water for an instant, fresh feeling tea. In order to make things a little more confusing, we’re going to start by making tea.
Soaking dried echinacea flowers in hot water is step number one. I bought my echinacea online, but health food stores and co-ops are a great place to look locally. Steep the echinacea in boiling water for at least 10 minutes, and then strain the herbs from the liquid.
The second thing you need to do is blend the lemon and ginger. Use some of the tea you just made to get a perfectly smooth blend. If you strain the ginger and lemon you can get a smooth, clear jelly and a tea without pulp. I was a little lazier, and opted for a tea with some added fiber. Either way, it will work just fine.
It’s important that you use no-sugar needed pectin for this recipe, as we do not use enough sugar in our tea to make it set with regular pectin. Whisk it into the tea, ginger, and lemon and place it in a large pot. Use a bigger pot that you think you need, because you don’t want sugary ginger juice to boil over and coat your stove. Guess how I know. Bring the tea to a boil, and then add your sugar. Stir well to incorporate, and bring it back to a boil. Allow it to boil for exactly two minutes, and then remove from the heat.
The final step is canning. If you want, you can always just stick your get well tea right in the fridge, but it won’t last as long as if you can it. But if you’d like to give it a longer shelf-life, you can use a hot water bath for canning. Use clean, sterilized jars with no cracks or chips, and fill them with the sick tea jelly leaving a quarter inch of room on top. Wipe the rims of the jar, and top with the lids. Use a large pot and fill it with water, at least enough to cover the jars completely. Bring the water in the pot to a boil, and let boil covered with water for 10 minutes, and then transfer the jars to a kitchen towel on the counter. Let them sit for 12-24 hours without touching them, and check that the seal has properly sealed before transferring them to a cool, dark location for storage.
If you would like to use the super stinking cute label that I drew and created, you can save and print it off here.
Ginger Lemon Echinacea Get Well Tea in a Jar
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried echinacea
- 1/2 lb. fresh ginger
- 1 large lemon, cut into a few pieces
- 1/3 cup (1.75 oz. package) no sugar needed pectin
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Start by boiling some water, and pouring 5 cups of water over you half cup of echinacea flowers. Let steep until it has cooled somewhat and strain the liquid from the solids. Add the ginger and whole lemon into a blender. Blend until smooth, adding the echinacea tea slowly until it blends smooth. For a smooth jelly with no pulp, strain the liquid through a cheesecloth. If you don't mind a little pulp, or don't love straining, feel free to leave it pulpy.
- Add the pectin and liquid to a large pot, and whisk to dissolve. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add the sugar and let the jelly reach a boil again. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
- If you want to stop now, you can transfer the jelly to jars and place in the fridge. To make it shelf-stable, you can use a hot water bath canner. Pour the jelly into sterilized jars, leaving a quarter inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean, and place new canning lids with rims on your jars. Place the jars in a pot of water tall enough to cover the jars, working in batches if necessary. Bring the water to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. After 24 hours, your jars should be sealed and your jelly set.
- To use, stir a spoonful of the jelly into a cup of boiled water or your favorite tea. Store opened jars in the fridge.
Notes
Please note that low sugar jams have shorter shelf lives, especially once opened. Ideally consume opened jars within a couple weeks.
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