We’ve been battling a case of the ickies since New Years. JGL came down with it first, and I succumbed shortly after, and while it hasn’t been as bad as we were last year, it’s been no fun feeling blah for the first few weeks of 2012. The find of the week, however, came in the form of a Facebook post on JGL’s wall. ”Have you tried Tomato Tea? Google it!”
What we found sounded pretty gross at first glance, at least for me. Tomato juice and as much garlic and hot sauce as you can handle. Meh. But the combo does two things immediately opens you up (seriously, with as much hot sauce as you can handle what else can you expect?) and helps with congestion, but the volatile oils of the hot sauce and garlic act almost like a disinfectant for your throat. Burns like hell, but oddly feels good. JGL started drinking it well after the congestion fell to his chest and I started drinking before that happened. I did not get hit half as hard as he did, and the congestion stuck (like glue) to my nose. Not sure if I just had a milder case or if the tea worked, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt!
And as for the taste? I have to admit, it wasn’t bad at all, and by the second batch it was almost tasty. I added fresh herbs from the garden to help make it a bit more palatable. This one will be put in the repertoire for future illness (and just another reason why I need to grow garlic in the garden!).
Tomato Tea Adapted from Earth Clinic.com 2 cups Tomato Juice2-3 cloves Garlic crushed (or more if you can–we were closer to 6 cloves)
2 T Lemon Juice
Hot Sauce (as much as you can tolerate) 2-3 large fresh basil leaves leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme Add all ingredients into a sauce pan and and heat until nice and warm. Using an immersion blender, blend all of the ingredients together well, and let steep on the stove for about 5-10 minutes (longer it sets the better it gets!). Once you’re ready to serve, sip slowly and breath deeply–the fumes and the tea both will aid with your congestion. Careful, this stuff is addictive!
