Tulsi & Ginger Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic

While many of us see vinegar as a simple condiment or an ingredient in pickling, it’s actually a 10,000-year-old remedy that’s heightened when combined with medicinal herbs. Medicated vinegar, technically known as an acetum, was clearly documented as herbal medicine in the early versions of The United States Pharmacopeia and stocked in traditional herbal apothecaries worldwide. It’s hard to believe, but this modern day cooking ingredient was once combined with many powerful plants for herbal medicine. Our recipe below includes tulsi, a beloved herb in Ayurvedic medicine and aromatic nervine used to support a healthy response to occasional stress. We’ve also paired it with fresh ginger root, known for its unique spicy and pungent taste, that supports healthy digestion.* This blend makes for beautiful synergy of Ayurvedic herbs in a traditional western herbalism format.

These days, herbalists combine more tonic-like herbs with vinegar for simple and effective everyday use. It takes just 1-2 weeks’ steeping time to prepare and pairs well with a variety of plants, from aromatic lavender to spicy ginger, and can be used in anything from house cleaner to a shrub cocktail base. Talk about diversity! In fact, famous herbal medicines like Four Thieves Blend (a medieval formula used for protection) and Fire Cider (a folk formula to support seasonal wellness) also have vinegar as a base. Vinegar on its own has been used to support the cardiovascular system, and many other various bodily symptoms.*

The etymology of vinegar comes from the French words vin (wine) and aigre (sour). In ancient times, vinegar was often made by letting the wine made from fruits or grains pass, or go sour. Traditional herbal medicine practices lean on the wisdom of the five tastes, and this strong sour taste indicates digestive system support by aiding secretions of digestive enzymes and bile. And as any herbalist will tell you, healing starts with the gut. Using vinegar in lieu of alcohol when extracting herbs is especially useful for giving liquid extracts to small children, elderly, or someone simply abstaining from alcohol altogether. Consider this herbal tonic as a basic template with fixed ratios, but one you can interchange with basil, mint, rosemary or whatever fresh garden herbs you have handy. With only five minutes of prep time necessary, making herbal medicine couldn’t be easier.