5 Herbal Remedies I Keep in My Kitchen
And why you should too — simple, effective, and deeply human
Simple herbal remedies
Herbalism doesn’t have to be complicated. Long before pharmacies, doctor’s offices, and the internet, humans lived in deep relationship with the natural world and plants were at the heart of that relationship. They were our food, our medicine, and our comfort, passed down through generations by grandmothers, midwives, and healers who knew their local landscape intimately.
Some of that knowledge has faded in recent generations, crowded out by convenience and modern medicine. But here’s the thing: the wisdom isn’t completely gone. It lives on in our instincts, our senses, and even, some would say, in our very DNA. When you catch the scent of lavender and feel your shoulders drop, or sip peppermint tea and feel instantly more alert, that’s not just placebo. That’s a deeply human response to plants that have accompanied us for millennia.
Plants often signal their uses through taste and smell. Lavender’s soft floral scent calms the nervous system. Peppermint’s sharp coolness refreshes and awakens. Ginger’s spicy warmth tells you it’s going to get your circulation moving. Learning to read these cues is one of the most empowering first steps you can take as a beginner herbalist — and you don’t need a degree or a library of textbooks to start.
So if you’re new to herbalism, or you’ve been curious but didn’t know where to begin, this post is for you. These are the five remedies I come back to again and again in my own kitchen: simple to make, easy to source, and genuinely useful for everyday wellness.
The Herbs You'll Need
These five remedies draw from a core set of kitchen and garden herbs that are easy to find fresh, dried, or in your local health food shop.
- Peppermint — cooling, refreshing, great for digestion and headaches
- Elderflower & Elderberry — immune-supporting, antiviral, and delicious
- Nettle — yes, really! One of the most nutritious plants available
- Yarrow — a traditional remedy for colds, fevers, and wounds
- Garlic — the original antibiotic, a true kitchen staple
- Ginger — warming, anti-inflammatory, and endlessly versatile
- Lemon Balm — gentle, calming, and wonderful for anxious tummies
The 5 Remedies
Herbal Lip Balm
Main herbs: Peppermint • Lemon Balm
A homemade lip balm is one of the most satisfying (and gift-able!) herbal preparations you can make. Infusing beeswax and a carrier oil like sweet almond or coconut oil with dried peppermint gives you a cooling, tingly balm that soothes chapped lips and smells wonderful. Lemon balm adds antiviral properties — particularly helpful if you’re prone to cold sores.
How to make it: Gently warm your carrier oil and add dried herb. Let it infuse over low heat for 1–2 hours, then strain. At this stage you can add peppermint or another complementary essential oil. Melt beeswax (or candelilla if vegan) into the infused oil (in a ratio of 4:1 carrier oil to wax), pour into small tins or lip balm tubes, and leave to set.
When to use it: Daily as a moisturising lip treatment, or at the first sign of a cold sore.
Storage: Lip balm will keep for up to a year stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Elderberry Gummies
Main herb: Elderberry
Elderberry has been used for centuries to fight colds and flu, and modern research backs this up — elderberry extracts have been shown to reduce the duration and severity of respiratory infections. These gummies are a brilliant way to make immune support fun, especially for children (and adults who don’t love the taste of straight elderberry syrup).
How to make it: Make a strong elderberry decoction by simmering dried elderberries with water, ginger, cloves, and a cinnamon stick for 30–45 minutes. Strain, sweeten with raw honey (once cooled), and combine with gelatine or agar-agar. Pour into moulds and refrigerate until set.
When to use it: Take 1–2 gummies daily through cold and flu season as a preventative. Increase to 3–4 times daily at the first sign of illness.
Storage: Keep refrigerated and use within 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Herbal Tea
Main herbs: Ginger, Peppermint, Lemon Balm
A well-chosen herbal tea is one of the simplest and most effective remedies in any herbalist’s toolkit. Here are three blends worth mastering:
- Ginger Tea: warming and anti-inflammatory, ideal for nausea, digestion, cold and flu, and poor circulation. Slice fresh ginger root and steep in just-boiled water for 10 minutes. Add lemon and honey to taste.
- Peppermint Tea: cooling and antispasmodic, wonderful for bloating, indigestion, tension headaches, and congestion. Use fresh or dried leaves steeped for 5–7 minutes.
- Lemon Balm Tea: gentle and calming, lovely for anxiety, stress, restless sleep, and nervous digestion. Use generously, lemon balm is mild and benefits from a strong infusion.
When to use it: As needed. Ginger and peppermint teas are best made fresh. Lemon balm can be drunk daily.
Storage: Keep dried herbs in airtight glass jars away from light and heat. Most dried herbs retain potency for 12–18 months.
Honey, Onion & Garlic Syrup
Main herbs: Garlic, Onion (with optional additions: thyme, ginger)
This one sounds unusual, but please don’t dismiss it. Honey, onion, and garlic syrup is a time-honoured remedy for coughs, colds, sore throats, and respiratory infections; and it genuinely works. Garlic is a powerful natural antimicrobial, onion contains quercetin (a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory), and raw honey soothes and coats the throat while adding its own antibacterial properties.
How to make it: Finely slice an onion and several cloves of garlic and layer them in a jar. Cover completely with raw honey. Leave to infuse at room temperature for 24–48 hours, pressing the solids down periodically. The honey will thin and draw out the medicinal constituents of the onion and garlic. Strain if preferred, or use as-is.
When to use it: Take a teaspoon every few hours at the onset of a cold, sore throat, or cough. Not suitable for children under 1 year due to the honey.
Storage: Keeps at room temperature for several weeks, or refrigerate for up to 3 months.
Nettle Infusion
Main herb: Nettle
Nettle is one of the most underrated plants in the herbalist’s garden. Yes, it stings, but dried or cooked nettle is entirely safe and extraordinarily nourishing. It’s packed with iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, and a range of trace minerals that many of us are quietly deficient in. It’s also a gentle but effective antihistamine, making it useful for seasonal allergies.
How to make it: A strong nettle infusion (sometimes called a nourishing herbal infusion) is different from a regular cup of tea. Add a generous handful of dried nettle to a large jar or pot of just-boiled water. Cover and steep for 4–8 hours, or overnight. Strain and drink throughout the day, warm or at room temperature.
When to use it: Drink regularly to support energy levels, bone health, skin health, and as a seasonal allergy remedy. Particularly good during spring and times of high physical demand.
Storage: Drink your infusion within 24 hours. Keep dried nettle in an airtight jar away from light.
Wherever possible, choose organic or wildcrafted herbs from a reputable supplier. The quality of your herbs directly affects the quality of your remedy. If you’d like to take the guesswork out of sourcing, I stock a range of herb bundles and pre-made remedies in my shop — perfect if you want to get started right away.