Is it strange to talk about colds and the flu in the middle of August?
Not at all! It’s the time to think ahead. ‘Tis the season for pepper juice planning!
What is pepper juice? It is the cringe-worthy yet beloved name of my go-to tincture for all things sick-related. As my kids know, it’s the answer to everything.
Sore throat? Pepper juice.
Sniffles? Pepper juice.
Cold and flu season preventative? Oh yes, pepper juice.
This recipe was first secreted away by medieval knights who swore to protect its identity and… okay, not really. I got it from a friend. 😉
Although this wonderful, spitfire concoction is made with simple, everyday ingredients, its results are anything but ordinary. How do I know? Just call me the voice of experience.
Our family started using pepper juice over 5-1/2 years ago. We haven’t gone to the doctor for anything like colds, the flu, earaches, or sore throats since. In fact, our family bypassed one of the worst flu seasons I can remember thanks to pepper juice.
What’s In This Miracle Tincture?
Nothing miraculous — just 5 beautiful, healthy, natural ingredients fresh from your garden or organic produce aisle.
#1 — Garlic
Garlic is known for a plethora of health benefits. It’s been used for centuries to treat every complain from the common cold… to the plague!
Prior to antibiotics, garlic preparations were placed on wounds during war to prevent infections. Scientific research has proven that it strengthens the immune system, improves circulation, lowers blood pressure and fevers, and has direct anti-microbial actions equal to many antibiotic drugs (without the side effects).
Learn how to grow your own garlic here.
#2 — Onions
Like garlic, onions are renowned throughout history as a cure for many illnesses. Alexander the Great fed onions in huge quantities to his troops to strengthen them for battle. During World War II, the vapors of onion paste reduced pain and accelerated healing of wounds.
#3 — Ginger
Known most commonly for nausea, ginger’s healing benefits date back thousands of years. Even the Ayurveda — the Hindu manual of medicine written in the 5th century BC — mentions it.
According to an ancient Indian proverb, “every good quality is contained in ginger.”
Even the ancient Greeks and Romans valued its medicinal properties! In England, during the Middle Ages, 1 pound of ginger equaled 1 sheep, in value. Only the wealthy could afford it!
#4 — Habanero Peppers
Chilis, jalapenos, or any hot pepper works. The hotter the better! Hot peppers contain capsaicin, the phytochemical that causes their heat.
Dr. Ziment, a pulmonary specialist at the University of California Los Angeles, explains that peppers act as an expectorant and are beneficial for the common cold. According to him,
“You’d be better off with hot salsa than menthol cough drops. Menthol cough drops not only dry out your throat, but paralyze the cilia — the tiny hair-like projections all along the airways.”
#5 — Horseradish
Horseradish is best known for its pungent taste. It’s one of the 5 bitter herbs consumed at Passover. But if you dig past its condiment past, horseradish also promotes expulsion of phlegm and mucous, and is antibiotic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory.
Pepper Juice Tincture
Ingredients
- garlic
- onion
- ground ginger
- hot peppers the hotter the better
- horseradish
- raw apple cider vinegar or 80 proof (at least) vodka
Instructions
-
Wash equal parts of each vegetable (I use 1/2 cup of each).
-
Then chop veggies in a food processor (not a blender -- you'll need to drain them later) or by hand. You may want to wear gloves when handling the peppers and don't touch your faces or eyes.
-
Fill a 1/2 gallon jar about 2/3 full with vegetable slices.
-
Then fill jar with raw apple cider vinegar or at least 80 proof vodka. Submerse vegetables completely. Apple cider vinegar gives it a 2-year shelf life, whereas vodka keeps pretty much forever!
-
Seal your jar, date it, and let it sit in a dark cupboard at room temperature for at least 14 days. Ours has sat a good month and been just fine. The longer it sits, the more nutrients the vodka will pull out.
-
Shake the jar several times every day.
-
When you’re ready to use it, strain out the vegetables and pour the liquid (now called a tincture) into a tincture bottle.
-
Finally, label it and store in a cool, dark place.
How To Take A Pepper Juice Tincture
As cold and flu season approaches, take a dropper full every couple days to keep your immune system up. If others around you are sick, increase it to every day and even a few times each day. When and if you feel the slightest scratchy throat, funny feeling, or sniffle, go for 3 to 4 times a day or more.
If you have children, keep a glass of water nearby and a healthy snack to help with the heat. Per our experience, we’ve given tiny amounts to ages 1-1/2 and gradually increased it to a full dropper by age 10 or so. This is our personal experience.
Now rest easy knowing you have your own beloved bottle of pepper juice to prepare you for cold and flu season!
Finally, for even more cold and flu prevention ideas, check out these resources:
- 2 Natural Cold Remedies That Really Work!
- 7 Natural Ways To Boost Your Immune System +Home Remedies For Cold & Flu #AskWardee 139
- Instant Pot Cough Syrup {with fresh thyme, ginger, & lemon}
- 6 Natural Strategies To Fight Off Flu Season
- 14 Herbs to Boost Immunity {pssst! 8 may already be in your kitchen!}
- Sore Throat Tonic
- 8 Reasons Why We’re Sick Even If We Eat Healthy
What are your go-to miracle tonics or immune boosters? Feel free to share recipes or links in the comments!
We only recommend products and services we wholeheartedly endorse. This post may contain special links through which we earn a small commission if you make a purchase (though your price is the same).
I was just telling a friend yesterday that I needed to start making some kind of cold/flu season remedy. This sounds like just the thing. Other than shelf life is there any benefit to using vodka vs ACV?
Some of the reasons we use vodka over ACV is:
1. it pulls out more of the medicinal qualities
2. it makes the mucous membranes in the mouth more permeable, so the tincture can enter the bloodstream more effectively
3. it increases the shelf life of the tincture
4. the higher the alcohol content, the better the tincture will work
What did you mean by draining the veggies later? I pictured chopping or slicing veggies then sticking them in the jar with the ACV or vodka. It’s that not right?
Yes. Soak veggies. Then you keep the liquid and dispose of the veggies.
I made the pepper Juice 2 days ago and see some of the vegetables are floating to the top of the liquid (I used vodka). It said to submerge all ingredients. Is this ok or do I need to use something to keep all submerged? I have been agitating the jar 2x’s/day.
Ours tend to float some too – especially if we chop them small. As long as you’re agitating them, they should be just fine. 🙂
Is this safe when pregnant?
I’ve used this when pregnant, I have close friends who’ve used it during their pregnancies. . . but since I’m not a doctor, I can’t say “yes”.
However, if I were pregnant again, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it. 🙂
The ingredients are normal veggies from your garden and the amount of vodka you’d get in a tincture dropper is less than a teaspoon. . .
Hi
We have been so happy with pepper juice this season!
We have a family of 5 and one of our kids is very disabled, so we are happy for the support pepper juice gives. So far no sickness and we are grateful. Lots of potential ‘moments’ but never all the way down hill, if you know what i mean. We have a question though…can we overgive and build immunity to the pepper juice?
I’ve never heard of anyone building immunity to Pepper Juice. Of course everything in moderation, but I would feel safe using it daily to ward off sickness – especially during cold and flu season. So glad it’s been helping your family!
Droppers all different sizes. The dropper size unsually depends on what size your bottle is. What size are you using and couldn’t you just put this in capsules?
Hi Jan,
You’re right – there are a variety of tincture bottle sizes. I’ve been buying 4 oz. amber tincture bottles for several years.
I’ve never tried putting this in capsules, I’m not sure how well it would seal. . .
Thanks how much tincture for a 50ml dropper bottle for adults and children please
Would you use this in conjunction with elderberry syrup? Have you had any luck getting little ones (1+) to take it?
Yes, you can use it along with elderberry syrup. We sometimes take an echinacea or elderberry tincture along with it.
We have five children and when the younger ones were about 1 1/2 we started giving them Pepper Juice. When they are that little we only give them about 5 drops. The older they are, the more they get. We don’t have a specific measurement to go by, just a little more as they grow.
They get a mouthful of water and we squirt a dropper into their mouths. They swish it around and swallow it with a glass of water. Sometimes a healthy snack helps with any remaining heat. 🙂
Paula, you mentioned about giving 5 drops to a young child so how many drops for an adult – would a tsp. be about right? Thanks, the recipe sounds good.
Yes, a teaspoon is about right. In the midst of the really bad flu season I linked to in the post, we were taking 2-3 teaspoons a day. 🙂
I’ve already begun macerating my throat tea – honey with chopped ginger and lemon slices (or juice). Really helps with scratchy throat and phlem.
I have put a few drops of Shield from SparkNaturals in veggie caps in order to take it. Just swallow the capsule immediately after filling.
In my family, we call this a Master Tonic.
How much does this make (how many tincture bottles will it fill)? and secondly how long is the shelf life?
I honestly don’t know how many tincture bottles this fills.
How we do it is: after it sits for at least 14 days (we’ve let it sit for several months), we drain it. We fill one tincture bottle with the Pepper Juice, and the rest we put in quart jars, wrap newspaper around them (to make them extra dark), and set the jars in the back of our ‘tincture cupboard’ until the tincture bottle needs refilled.
If you use ACV it has a shelf life of about 2 years, whereas vodka is pretty much forever. 🙂
I made this last year and I put it in a clear mason jar in the pantry. Do you think it’s still safe to use this year? Saved my family too btw. No flu for us last year and the year before we all got the flu – bad!
Yes, ACV lasts about 2 years so either way, it would still be good. 🙂
I had some leftover and have been using it in my salad dressing. It’s so good I may make a double batch this year!
Are you jarred horeseradish?
Do you mean ‘can you use jarred horseradish’? Yes. . .you can. . .but fresh will always be better and more potent.
I would assume it is better after letting it sit fotr the 2 weeks or more, but can we use it right after making it too if we’re desperate and in the throws of a cold”??
Yes, the longer it sits the better, but we’ve also been desperate enough that we’ve opened a sitting jar of the veggies/vodka and taken some out.
I use various herbal tinctures all the time. I would have enjoyed the article more had it been easier to read without the webpage header taking up half the screen.
just curious, I made this, its very strong, I feel like it needs some honey to make it pallatable. what is thought on that? I just can’t put the spoon in my mouth the smell is so bad.
How long did you let it sit? Did you use ACV or vodka? Is it a ‘bad’ smell or just a strong peppery smell? It shouldn’t smell as if it’s bad, just that it’s spicy hot.
Taking it with honey won’t hurt anything. We’ve found that the more often we take it, the less hot it seems – kinda like our tastebuds become accustomed to it. 🙂
it is a very hot smell!! very strong.
If you’re worried about the heat then I’d start out with a smaller ‘dose’, a drop of honey, and a glass of water. 🙂
Instead of taking it with dropper, can I use this as a seasoning?
Any way you take it is good 🙂 – but I’d still make sure to get it in each day if it’s cold and flu season or you feel like you might be coming down with something.
when you say 1/2c…is that 1/2 c sliced?…like how many garlic heads.
I usually ‘eyeball’ a half cup of each vegetable before I chop them. There really is no specific formula, just roughly equal parts of each. I would guess about 2 garlic heads.
How much vodka?
Enough to completely submerge the veggies. It depends on what size of jar you use or if you double or half the recipe. We usually buy a liter of vodka and if there is any left over we save it for next year’s Pepper Juice making.
What veggies do you use? Thanks!
They’re listed in the recipe. Onions, garlic, horseradish, hot peppers, and ginger.
Do you remove the seeds from the peppers or leave them in?
I leave them in. Either way would be fine though.
Can i just juice these and mix them all?
Good question – and one that honestly has me stumped. 🙂
You want the veggies to sit in the ACV or vodka because that’s what helps pull out all the medicinal properties. I’m not sure if juicing would disrupt that process, or how it would effect it.
Whenever I’ve read about making tinctures, whether herbs or vegetables, I’ve never seen it suggested to juice them in any way first. When you juice things you usually want to drink them immediately – but Pepper Juice gets better with age. . .
I would think you could if you have a way of weighing down the contents. I’m thinking a fermenting crock or they have kits for 1/2 gallon mason jars, which I’ve used to make kimchi. Another way would be to secure them in cheesecloth and then, weigh them down. That would take care of any floaters.
Really?
I was just wondering what kind of peppers you use? We LOVE Jalapeno peppers but Ghost Peppers would be hotter I am sure and therefore better?
We’ve used jalapeño and habanero – but haven’t tried growing Ghost Peppers yet – aren’t they the hottest pepper there is?
They say hotter is better – but depending on if you have littles taking the tincture, you might want to stick with jalapeño or habanero or cut back on the amount if using Ghost Peppers. 🙂
I made this last year using ACV. I put it in a clear mason jar in the pantry. Do you think it’s still safe to use this year?
Yes, it would still be safe for another year. 🙂
Do you leave the skin on the ginger? & where can you buy whole horseradish?
I’ve left the skin on the ginger – just scrub it really good first. But, you can also peel it – it doesn’t matter really.
I have bought fresh horseradish at our grocery store before, but it’s not easy to find. We now grow it ourselves – but others have used jarred horseradish in a pinch. The first year we made it we couldn’t find fresh anywhere (and jarred never occurred to us) so we just didn’t put it in. (However, we’d still strongly suggest putting it in if you can.)
I got some at our international market it town.
I can generally always find horseradish at one of the Asian Farmer’s Markets.
If you are going to plant horseradish, plant in a pot and move the pot around once in awhile so that roots coming out of the bottom will not set. Horseradish can be very invasive. Make sure you plant several pieces of root as you will need to dig up a hunk for your tincture. (If you rototill horseradish you could end up with an acre of the stuff.) You can use the leaves for many things but I personally like them in salads.
What kind/brand of vodka?
We buy Svedka – it’s the only one we can find in a glass jar and we just prefer buying things in glass. The important thing to look for is that it’s at least 80 proof.
I can’t find fresh horseradish. Is it better to leave it out or use a jarred product? My grocer says its not a good seller so they don’t stock it. If I use it from the jar should i rinse it before putting it in the bottle?
The first year we made Pepper Juice we couldn’t find fresh horseradish anywhere (and jarred never occurred to us) so we just didn’t put it in. However, we’d still strongly suggest putting it in if you can – and if jarred is all you can find, it’s better than nothing.
Rinsing it – you can, but it won’t make or break the recipe if you don’t. 🙂
Thank you. I already have it sitting without the horseradish. I think I will try the next farmer’s market to see if I can find it there.
Thanks for sharing this. I made up a batch the other day. However, while making it I ended up with more of some veggies cut so doubled it. Think there was still excess horseradish. I’m hoping that will be fine if proportions aren’t exact. ..and that’s my question too! 🙂 Smelled it today and nearly stripped the lining mom my nose! Woozers is that a potent potion! Hoping I can get my kids to take it! Thanks again! 🙂
The portions don’t have to be exact. I have put in more of one thing than the other before too – it’s more of the idea that it’s ‘about equal parts’ – but it won’t hurt it if it’s off a bit. 🙂
Black elderberry, sambucus nigra is an excellent antiviral herb
Hi! Thank you for this I am excited to use it 🙂 I was wondering how much it usually makes. Mine made almost 4 cups (definitely not a small tincture) I was wondering it that is ok? I took it for the first time and it burned all the way down haha. Thanks again!
Yes, this can easily make a quart jar of tincture. But when you consider that you take it every day during cold and flu season (which for us is September to June LOL – and then when we know something is ‘going around’ we take it several times a day. Multiply that by several family members and it’s surprising how fast it disappears.
As far as the heat going down – I always follow (very quickly) with a glass of water. 🙂
I just stumbled upon this from a Facebook posting. I have 3 kids, 2 of them school aged and one that goes the the gym daycare a couple of hours a day. It seems they are always coming down with something and then I usually catch at least 75% of their colds. I know I couldn’t get my 2 oldest to takes this straight up but could I mix it in a glass of water or maybe apple juice? I would love for this to help, we’ve already had a couple of colds.
Yes, you could certainly mix it with apple juice or water. As long as they take it, it doesn’t matter how it goes down. 🙂
Thanks for this natural remedy receipe! I made it today, with organic ingredients. I just didn’t find fresh horseradish and added a spoon of pure horsedish and japanese horsedish powder.
Despite not good as fresh one, hope this works anyway.
I have an odd question. Is there a reason that my garlic would turn a bluish green color? I used 1/2 a pound each of garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish root and jalapeno peppers and then used raw apple cider vinegar to fill. I mixed it all up on Monday afternoon and when I went to shake it on Wednesday night, it was blue – but only the garlic layer. Things were a little packed so the layers hadn’t mixed up with each other real well yet. It smells fine but looks weird for sure!
I’ve only ever used vodka, and I know the veggies kind of turn off-color. . .kind of tinged blue. Are yours totally blue?
I asked the friend who gave me the recipe years ago, because she usually uses apple cider vinegar, and she said, “It could be the type of garlic but I don’t think it’s something to worry about.”
She went on to say she vaguely remembers once when hers turned color too and the fact that yours turned color wasn’t a surprise to her.
It was only the garlic layer (which happened to be the very bottom layer) and it was very, very blue. I have since mixed it up but you can certainly still see blue bits throughout the mixture. I have a pic of it but not sure if I am able share it here.
If you’d like to send it to me, you can email it to [email protected].
Was it organic garlic, fresh, jarred. . .?
It was fresh but not organic. I’ll send a pic by email. 🙂
Can you mix acv, and the alcohol, or will the alcohol kill the good bacterias in the acv, and how important are the peppers, as their from the nightshade family, and they can cause my fibromyalgia to flare I could substitute turmeric, and what about adding other herbs.
I don’t know what the vodka would do to the ACV – I would suggest using either one or the other.
I have made Pepper Juice without an ingredient before – horseradish, and while it’s best to use them all, it will certainly work without the peppers too.
I’ve not added other herbs or spices to our Pepper Juice. While I don’t think it would hurt it at all, I’d maybe do some research to make sure certain herbs can be mixed together and their safety if mixed.
If you use ACV and vodka, the vodka would kill any of the bacteria that was in the ACV.
Any thoughts as to if this would kill the good bacteria from probiotics or homemade kefir? I know if I use antibiotics, I have to space them 2 hours away from probiotics. I wasn’t sure if this was similar. I want my kids to get the most benefit from both. Thanks.
As far as I know, it shouldn’t affect it. This is such a small amount, and alcohol is absorbed so quickly that I don’t think this tiny amount would reach your colon, which is where the majority of beneficial gut bacteria live.
I have made this exact same recipe with the addition of Tumeric. It was called master tonic.. Very strong stuff !
Tumeric sounds like a great addition!! How much did you add? 1/2 cup??
Just wondering if anyone has used the disgarded veggis to cook with? say in stir fry’s, chili, etc?
I haven’t personally, but my sister-in-law has frozen it and put it in chili. Her husband liked it, but she wasn’t fond of how hot it made it. 🙂
I did freeze it to. Always use it in soup. Need very little it’s quite spicy. We really like it
Hello Paula,
It definitely sounds like a mxture that will kick the butt of most germs. My question has to do with allergies, have you heard of anyone having an allergic reaction to any ot the ingredients. I developed a sensitivity to some peppers and want to know if they are diluted enough not to cause any major problems.
Thank you.
If you have an allergy to peppers I would avoid it or be very, very careful. It depends of course if you’re allergic to all peppers or just certain ones. Depending on the peppers you use, the tincture is quite hot and you can definitely taste them.
just an fyi regarding the vodka. i read that absolut is non gmo since they are outlawed in sweden. it also comes in glass.
Thank you for this great recipe . By which other ingredients may I use instead of horseradish , impossible to find in the shop .
You CAN skip horseradish if you need to, or look for the jarred variety if nothing else.
Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe!!
Will try for my FIL with liver cancer. Any other recommendations?
Check out the site http://www.thetruthaboutcancer.com and the book Cancer: Think Outside the Box by Ty Bollinger.
I’ve been making this for a few years. We call it Super Tonic! It’s cured common colds and flus, sinus infection and urinary tract infection for me! Great stuff.
Yay! I’ve heard it called by many names. I ‘think’ the original recipe came from Dr. Christopher (at least that’s where the friend who gave me the recipe got her recipe), but no matter what it’s called, it seems to work well for everyone. So glad to hear all the issues it’s helped you with!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made this with ACV a couple weeks ago and have a some questions. Would it be better to keep the vegetables in the ACV longer or can I start using the tincture now? Also, is it normal for the vegetables to turn slightly brown? If so, what causes this to happen? Thanks.
The longer it sits, the better. The minimum time is 2 weeks, so if it’s been that long already, you could sure start using it. You could even pour a bit of the liquid out to use and let the rest sit longer. And yes, even in vodka the vegetables turn a slight brown hue. This is normal. 🙂
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Any opinion on how long is too long to let it sit and brew?
I ask because mine’s been about 3 months with regular agitation, I just previously let my batch sit for only 5 weeks, and didn’t know if it would somehow change or go bad.
I’ve let mine sit for 6 months with no problem – again, I use vodka so I’m more apt to be okay with it sitting that long. If you’re using ACV I would strain it and start using it soon.
Hi! I’m just coming across this now, and would really like to try it. Do you take the dropper directly down your throat or do you put it under your tongue?
You could do it either way, but it’s better absorbed by putting a dropper full under your tongue, and if you can, holding there for a few seconds.
This is great. Sometimes I put some ice in a glass, pour in 1-2 tablespoons to which I add a couple of drops of Stevia and top off with filtered water. It’s very refreshing. I’ve done nearly the same to make tea as well. I’ve also seen this recipe referred to as Fire Cider. I came across a tonic called Four Thieves, but I forgot about it once I started making this one. Thanks!
Hi, I was just wondering how long can it stand.
I saw recipes for migraines etc. and it said that it can be stored for up to 5 years, is it the same with this tincture?
Thank you!!
I honestly don’t know. Tinctures made with vodka have a much longer shelf life than apple cider vinegar or other options. They say vodka tinctures last ‘forever’, but we’ve never had them that long. 😉 I’ve heard ACV tinctures last about 2 years so I would feel safe with a vodka tincture that’s been bottled for 4-5 years. . .
Could you make a more instant version of this in a pinch by throwing it in the instant pot to spread things along a bit gbe way some folks do with homemade Vanilla Extract? Or bad idea?
If I needed something in a pinch, I think just eating raw garlic would be better.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have made this for many years for my family. We have used it for everything from colds, allergies and flu prevention as well as reflux and stomach issues. Sometimes we forget about it letting it sit for up to 3 1/2 months before straining and preparing. It has always worked wonderfully. However my hubby put it way up in the pantry where I can’t reach it when we moved (4 quart jars). They were shaken for a few days. They got covered up and we couldn’t see them and forgot about them. It has been about 13 months that the veggies have been fermenting with the vodka and they have not been shaken. It is still safe to strain and use? I have never let it “brew” that long before.
Could you use half ACV and half vodka? So the vodkas not as strong? I love the taste of making it with just acv, but would like it to be shelf stable longer.
In the recipe it calls for 1/2 cup of each vegetable. I didn’t see how much ground ginger or horseradish. It would take several jars of ground ginger to make a half cup.
Hi, Jeff.
This would not be powdered ginger but fresh ginger root or horshradish ground up.
You need equal parts of each so the 1/2 cup is just Paula’s suggestion. YOu can make more or less as you desire. 🙂
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team
I love this idea, it’s not vastly different than fire cider (I used that a few years ago). But, now that I’ve had micronutrient testing done, I react to onions and garlic (green peppers cause pain) and for electrolytes, I react to coconut. As much as I hate using chemical products, sometimes I have to as the response to the natural stuff makes me feeling sick still. Do you have alternative suggestions for those of us who have to eat low FODMAP?
I just made mine a few days ago can’t wait to try it !! Thank you for the recipe I have horrible sinus issues hoping this helps fingers crossed