What is Oxymel and How Can You Use it?

You might not have heard of it, but Oxymel is actually an ancient old healing remedy. The name originates from Greece and literally means sour honey: oxy (sour) and méli (honey).

Honey and vinegar are among the oldest remedies of mankind and recipes for them have been handed down from famous healers. With this healing potion Galenos of Pergamon, Hippocrates of Kos, Hildegard of Bingen and Avicenna treated illnesses such as fever, coughs, infections, poisonings, inflammations, metabolic diseases or digestive complaints.

I am a modern alchemist at Castel Fragsburg and I had my first experience with Oxymel during my first pregnancy 29 years ago and was immediately enthusiastic about it. Since then, I have been using it to produce remedies for the whole family. Herbal extracts through Oxymel are a wonderful alternative to avoid alcoholic tinctures and are also safe to use for pregnant women, children, elderly people and people who are abstinent from alcohol. Honey contains around 200 ingredients, including amino acids, minerals, enzymes and much more, and has a wound-healing and anti-inflammatory effect. The active acetic acid bacteria of natural organic apple cider vinegar (not pasteurised) promotes intestinal activity.

Oxymel (sour honey) basic recipe

Mix 75% organic honey and 25% high-quality, natural organic apple vinegar and stir until the honey has completely dissolved in the vinegar.

Oxymel tincture

Put 2/3 finely chopped herbs into a jar and fill up with the prepared Oxymel (sour honey). Leave the closed jar in the dark for about 4 weeks, shaking it a little every day. Then you can strain the finished oxymel tincture and put it into a brown glass bottle.

A finished Oxymel tincture can be kept for up to one year at room temperature.

Application

Mixed with lukewarm water, the tincture can be drunk on an empty stomach to stimulates the digestive function.

As a prophylactic measure and to strengthen the immune system, drink 4 table spoons of Oxymel diluted with lukewarm water on an empty stomach every day.

Oxymel is also wonderfully suitable as an isotonic and vitalises athletes and elderly people and boosts hydration.

Some Oxymel extracts from my herbal medicine cabinet:

You can mix your basic tincture with:

• linden blossom or elderberry blossom = as a remedy for flu-like infections
• plantain or spruce shoots = as a cough remedy
• lavender blossoms or lemon balm leaves = as a nerve tonic
• lady’s mantle, yarrow or raspberry leaves = as a women’s remedy.