An Apple a Day...

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. We all probably know this old rhyme. If you throw it hard enough, it can keep more than a doctor away. 😉 But is there any grain of truth to this? Can something like an apple improve our health? I am not going to follow this apple rabbit trail, but if you would like to continue on this path, click here and here to get you started.

The original proverb can be traced back to 1866 to the Welch magazine, Notes and Queries. “Eat an apple on going to bed, And you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread" (Source, Source) The common meaning of this old proverb is that if you eat healthy, you will not need to visit the doctor as often.

To keep you healthy and away from the doctor, let's look at some natural medicinal ingredients. A bonus is you probably already have these in your pantry. I am not a fan of taking medicine, and would prefer to use herbs and natural ingredients to keep me healthy. I want to share one of my favorite "medicines" that I use every day, fermented garlic honey. But first, let us inspect the ingredients. Fermented garlic honey simply consists of garlic and honey, but you can add other ingredients too.

Honey has been used for medicinal purposes for a very long time. Ancient Chinese, Assyrian, Roman and Greek civilizations have recorded using honey to treat wounds and various illnesses throughout history. Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, "noted the benefits of honey and used it in various different formulations for treating a range of illnesses, injuries, and other health issues" (Source). Elsa Scott explains, "Honey is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antimicrobial. It can help cure sore throats, as well as aid in fighting off infections caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi" (Source). Honey is considered to be a superfood, full of antioxidants and has many benefits for the health of the body as a whole (Source).

Garlic is an amazing root vegetable that is considered to be a spice. It is fondly called Nature's Wonder Drug and has been used as a medicinal herb (Source). Muhammad Juber explains, "Garlic has been used, both medicinally and as a food or flavoring, since the dawn of recorded history. Ancient medical texts from as far afield as Egypt, China, India, Greece, and Rome discussed the medical uses of garlic" (Source). Garlic is antimicrobial, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory. It is rich in antioxidants and can boost cardiovascular and immune health (Source, Source).

Ginger is another spice that has been used medicinally for over 5,000 years in Ancient Indian, Chinese and Roman civilizations (Source) (Picture Source). Ginger is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and an anti-nausea compound (Source). In MythBusters Episode 43, Adam and Grant confirmed ginger was a cure for nausea (Source). My Prince Charming and I have been using ginger supplement pills for motion sickness for years.

Turmeric is one of my favorite spices. It is a member of the ginger family and has many benefits including medicinally and making food taste delicious (Picture Source). It has been used in Ancient Indian and Chinese medicine for over 4,500 years (Source, Source). Turmeric is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, and rich in antioxidants (Source, Source, Source, Source). It has been known to support respiratory, digestion and joint health (Source). In the USA, you can find turmeric rhizomes in Asian or Hispanic markets.

After accidently cutting my finger a few weeks back, I read that turmeric boosts the healing process (Source). So as the Boho Mad Scientist, I had to test this hypothesis. My experiment consisted of rubbing turmeric powder (straight from the container) into the wound. It did indeed increase the healing rate and decreased the inflammation around the wound.

Fermented garlic honey is one of the easiest fermented experiments you can make (Source). The hardest step in the whole process is peeling the garlic cloves. You can stop with just honey and garlic, but as you can see above the health benefits increase by adding turmeric and ginger (Picture Source).

Step 1:

Find a clean glass jar in your house. I reuse an old Nutella jar. You could also use canning jars. Clean and fully dry the jar.

Step 2:

Peel garlic cloves and give them a rough chop. How many you may ask? Like with any recipe I use garlic, let your heart decide! A base amount would be enough chopped cloves to fill half the jar.

Step 3:

If you are going to add turmeric and ginger, the combination of turmeric, ginger and garlic should fill half your jar. Give the ginger and turmeric rhizomes a rough chop and add to the jar. Side note, I don't peel either rhizome since there a lot of nutrients in their peels as well.

Step 4:

Pour honey over the mixture to just cover the top. Let the honey settle for about 5 minutes. If needed, add more honey to cover the mixture. Cover the jar.

Step 5:

This is the longest step which will require patience. Let the mixture sit for a month. You will need to "burp" the jar every day. A fermentation byproduct is the release of gasses, like carbon dioxide, which could cause the jar to explode without burping. To burb, all you have to do is open the jar then close the jar.

Step 6:

After a month of fermentation, take a small spoonful every day.

This experiment is very delicious and a natural medicine to keep around for cold, flu and allergy seasons. Have you ever experimented with fermented garlic honey? What other ingredients have you added for tried and true results? What recipes have you added your fermented garlic honey in your cooking experiments? Do you have any questions, thoughts or comments, send a fan letter or comment below. Don't forget to subscribe to Castle in the Air to be on the short list for the next blog to drop! Until next time, this is the Boho Mad Scientist signing off.