is for Zip–
a hearty garlic tonic

I learned about this cold and flu tonic many years ago from my dear friend Jeannine, who not only had a green thumb, you might say she had rainbow fingers. You can use zip every day in the manner of an old-fashioned apple cider vinegar and honey tonic, with the immune-enhancing properties of fresh garlic.

Zip: A Garlic Tonic

To make 1 pint:

Take 2 large heads of garlic (not just the individual cloves, but the whole head), wash well, then smash each clove soundly against a cutting board with the side of a heavy chef’s knife (no need to peel unless they are dirty). Place the smashed garlic in a pint-sized jar and cover with about 1 to 2 cups good apple cider vinegar; use enough vinegar to keep the garlic completely covered, but it’s okay if some of it floats. (Don’t expect to use this jar for anything else except zip ever again.) Place a small piece of waxed paper or plastic over the jar to prevent corrosion, and then screw on the lid. Label and date.

Keep this somewhere you can see it, and let steep for 2 weeks, shaking daily. Strain, and then add an equal amount of raw honey to the garlic-infused vinegar. Place the jar in the sun to warm it, if you can, to melt the honey easier; otherwise, just shake it now and again until dissolved. You can funnel it into a clean bottle for easier dispensing if desired. Your batch of zip is now ready, and it will keep until you use it up, about 3 months at room temperature.

If you like, you can add a dried cayenne pepper or two to steep with the garlic and really boost the octane of this bad boy. I’ve added a pinch of cayenne powder to the basic recipe as an afterthought to take when I actually did have the flu.

To use as a tonic, just add 1 or 2 tablespoons of zip to a glass of water, and sip away. You could even use it as a pungent salad dressing for coleslaw. Your kids will probably hate it, but the taste kinda grows on you after a while. It sure does put hair on your chest.