Granny's Lemon Stuff - aka Hot Toddy

Some of my oldest memories involve sitting in my grandmother's kitchen, the air heavy with spice, and my tummy full of food. But on cold winter nights, my favorite thing was my grandmother’s “Lemon Stuff.” The whole family called it that, we still do. And there’s a pot of it on the stove from November to spring thaw in every family member's home.

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What the Heck is Lemon Stuff?

Now as an adult, I know that this drink closely resembles a Hot Toddy, and don’t get me wrong this is the first thing I make when I’m sick and you better believe I serve it with whiskey. But with or without it’s a drink with some good kitchen medicine that warms the soul whenever the weather turns cold. And, no recipe I’ve found is quite the same.

Kitchen Cures

This drink is perfect if you're feeling a cold or sore throat coming on. It’s loaded with Vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatories.

Lemons

Lemons are loaded with vitamin C, which is known to support the body's natural defenses and is reported to decrease the strength of cold and flu viruses.

Cloves

Cloves are packed full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which can come in handy during cold and flu season. I love this drink for sore throats because the high clove content has a numbing effect that is so soothing.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon contains antioxidant, antiviral, and antibacterial properties to help boost your immunity naturally. Who doesn’t want that when they're under the weather?

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is another spice that contains strong antibacterial properties that can help to boost the immune system.

Granny’s Lemon Stuff

4 cups of water

2 Lemons Squeezed then quartered

1 Tbls Whole Cloves

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Nutmeg

¼ tsp All Spice

½ cup of Sugar

Shot of whiskey (optional)

Directions:

• Add all of the dry ingredients to the bottom of a large pot.

• Scrub the outer rind of your lemons then cut them in half and squeeze as much juice as possible into the pot.

• Cut squeezed lemons into quarters and add to the pot.

• Top with 4 cups of water and boil until all of the spices sink to the bottom of the pan.

• Serve warm and add in a shot of whiskey for the grown-ups or serve without for the kiddos.

It couldn’t be simpler to make. Even on days when getting out of bed is hard I can still put a pot to boil and drink it through the day. Let us know in the comments if you try Granny’s Lemon Stuff. And, until next time,