What is it about vinegar that we like? The tartness? The pungency? The fact that it is almost alcoholic? I would like to postulate that we like vinegar because our body needs it. Our biology tates it and thinks, “Mmmm … electrolytes, alkalizing, digestive stimulant ….” If your body (or your tastebuds) isn’t a huge vinegar fan, then oxymels are for you. And if you already love vinegar, oxymels will give you an excuse to integrate it into your day.

Before I talk about oxymels, check out the varieties of vinegar in the photo above. This is from the Nashmarkt in Vienna, which is a daily marketplace for edibles, flowers, soaps — and loaded with amazing restaurants. This vinegar shop featured handcrafted, artisan varieties of vinegar. Some sweet and fruity, some spicy, some very dark and strong, like the balsamics in the bottom right. I tried a few, and swear I had a little buzz, not unlike an effervescent kombucha feeling. Even though most medicinal recipes will call for good old apple cider vinegar, why not branch out to other varieties?

Although I have tried oxymels, I figured it was high time to make one for my household. Oxymels are a mixture of vinegar and honey, combining sweet and sour to create an invigorating and balanced blend. The simplest type of oxymels is by stirring a tablespoon of vinegar in a tablespoon of honey, then diluted in a cup of warm water. This simple remedy is known to balance the acid-alkaline balance in the body and is employed as a daily tonic. Here is the oxymel that I made from a recipe I wrote down from a 2006 lecture:

Teresa Broadwine’s Onion Thyme Oxymel (with my own addition of anise)

• 1 onion, chopped
• 16 0z apple cider vinegar
• 2 T thyme
• 2 T fennel seeds
• 2 T anise seeds
• 2 T oregano
• 2 cups honey

Bring all but the honey to a light boil, then simmer covered for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, strain and press herbs, and add honey while it is still warm.

When would one take this oxymel? You guessed it: cold and flu season, especially for chest colds of all kinds. I added the anise to assist the herbs in expectoration; it’s one of my favorites for thinning and bringing up congesting phlegm.

There are endless varieties of oxymels, so add in herbs that suit your individual needs. The above recipe could replace onions with garlic for extra anti-microbial action, or an addition of black peppercorns and mustard seeds for more warming actions (as vinegar is cooling, see). James Green says that the basic ratio of vinegar to honey is roughly 1:3, or 1 cup vinegar to 3/4 pounds honey, although I have had some with equal parts honey to vinegar and they seemed to work just fine. Perhaps the larger amount of honey serves for added preservation.

Lobelia oxymel – from Dr. William Cook  for dry, irritable coughs, lung congestion

• dried lobelia herb
• apple cider vinegar
• honey

Place lobelia (preferably dried) in a jar and cover with apple cider vinegar and steep for 2 weeks. Strain, mix with honey in the proportion of ¾ pound honey to 1 cup vinegar. Place in a water bath, until the mixture is like thin molasses, bottle and refrigerate (246). As you can see, there are no set measurements for materials, so adjust quantities to your needs. Dose as needed for coughs.

Jam’s Green’s Poison Oak Lotion

• 1 part mugwort
• 1 part horsetail
• apple cider vinegar
• salt

Make a strong decoction of 1 part mugwort and 1 part horsetail. To 2 parts of this liquid, add 1 part apple cider vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon salt per cup, bottle, label, and store in the fridge. Apply externally often (184).

For more info on oxymels, visit The Medicine Woman’s Roots, this site, and the Art of Drink, which give a recipe for switchel.

Sources:

Green, James. The Medicine Makers Handbook.

Broadwine, Teresa. Lecture notes, Medicines from the Earth 2006.