• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
The Healthy Home Economist

The Healthy Home Economist

embrace your right to a lifetime of health

Get Plus
  • Home
  • About
  • My Books
  • Shopping List
  • Archives
  • Log in
  • Get Plus
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Get Plus
  • Log in
  • Home
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Archives
  • My Books
  • Shopping List
  • Recipes
  • Healthy Living
  • Natural Remedies
  • Green Living
  • Videos
  • Natural Remedies
  • Health
  • Green Living
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Natural Remedies / Master Tonic: Natural Flu Antiviral (+ VIDEO)

Master Tonic: Natural Flu Antiviral (+ VIDEO)

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

Jump to Recipe

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • How to Make the Master Tonic+−
    • Prep Tip
    • Minimizing Time Spent
    • Nightshade Allergy?
    • Video Tutorial
  • Dosage
  • Master Tonic Recipe+−
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Recipe Video
    • Recipe Notes
  • Fire Cider vs Master Tonic

The Master Tonic is a fermented elixir for prevention, flu, or travel. It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-parasitic, and anti-fungal.

master tonic ingredient preparation on a table

The Master Tonic is a must-have remedy for flu season or when traveling overseas. It is potently anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. It requires no refrigeration and lasts indefinitely with no special storage conditions.

This post details how to make the Master Tonic and why it is so effective as a homemade, totally natural anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic remedy.

Note that the Master Tonic is not to be confused with the Master Cleanse.

Who needs Tamiflu with all its dangerous side effects when you have the Master Tonic, with no side effects, in your back cupboard?

I have a friend who coordinates missionaries overseas to third world countries who told me that the missionaries she knows always take this remedy with them when traveling.

The Master Tonic keeps forever, so make it now before you need it!

This tonic is extremely powerful because all the ingredients are fresh. Its power should not be underestimated. This formula is a modern-day plague remedy and can help prevent or cure the most chronic conditions and stubborn diseases. It stimulates maximum blood circulation while putting the best detoxifying herbs into the blood.

The Master Tonic remedy is not just for the sniffles, it has helped to turn around the deadliest infections resistant to antivirals, antifungals, and antibiotics. It can be used in combination with conventional treatments as necessary.

How to Make the Master Tonic

Make plenty as the Master Tonic does not need refrigeration and lasts indefinitely without any special storage conditions.

The healthiest Master Tonic is made with homemade apple cider vinegar brewed with raw honey.

If you don’t have time to do this, then be sure to buy only raw ACV packed in glass bottles. Never buy it packaged in plastic, as the acidity of the ACV will leach toxins into the vinegar.

Prep Tip

These ingredients can make your eyes water and burn while you are chopping and grating.

I put a large cutting board on my (cool!) stovetop and turn on the fan above the range on high. This allows me to chop everything without discomfort.

Minimizing Time Spent

I’ve recently noticed that bags of organic, peeled, whole garlic cloves are available at some health food stores. Using these instead of peeling the garlic yourself will easily halve the time required to make this traditional tonic. It will also prevent your hands from smelling like garlic for 2 days!

Nightshade Allergy?

If you have an allergy to nightshade vegetables, substitute grated turmeric root for the cayenne pepper or double up on the onion or garlic.

Video Tutorial

The video included with the recipe below details visually how to make the master tonic and why it is so beneficial.  It is sometimes easier to learn with pictures than words. This tutorial is especially helpful while you are in the kitchen making it for the first time. Just follow along!

Dosage

The dosage for the Master Tonic is 1 or 2 ounces, two or more times daily. Swish and swallow.

Don’t dilute with water if you can avoid it. Mix with food if you have to, but best to take it full strength on its own.

If it makes you gag because it is strong tasting, try stimulating this acupressure point to temporarily halt the gag reflex.

For ordinary infections, a dose taken 5-6 times a day will deal with most conditions.

It can be used during pregnancies and is safe for children (use smaller doses or mix with some honey for children over age 1). Not recommended for children younger than age 1 unless under the advice of a physician.

It is the ultimate food-as-medicine. This traditional tonic is completely non-toxic.

The Master Tonic: Natural Flu Antiviral
4.49 from 52 votes
Print

Master Tonic Recipe

The Master Tonic is a must-have remedy for flu season or when traveling overseas. It is potently anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. It requires no refrigeration and lasts indefinitely with no special storage conditions.

Course Drinks
Keyword home remedy, tonic
Prep Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Calories 15 kcal
Author Sarah Pope

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh chopped garlic preferably organic
  • 1 cup fresh chopped onion preferably organic
  • 1 cup fresh grated ginger root preferably organic
  • 1 cup fresh grated horseradish root preferably organic
  • 1 cup fresh chopped cayenne peppers or any hot peppers seasonally available preferably organic
  • 1 quart raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1 half gallon mason jar

Instructions

  1. Fill a half gallon glass mason jar 3/4 of the way full with equal parts by volume of the above fresh chopped and grated herbs (1 cup each works well). Wear gloves when chopping the hot peppers.

    organic master tonic ingredients
  2. Fill jar to the top with raw ACV. Close the lid tightly and shake.

    fermenting master tonic ingredients
  3. Shake at least once a day for two weeks, and then filter the Master Tonic mixture through a clean piece of cloth, bottle and label.

  4. Make sure that when you make this tonic that you shake it every time you walk by it, a minimum of once per day. Remember that all the herbs and vegetables for the Master Tonic should be fresh and organically grown if possible. Use dried herbs only in an emergency.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Use only fresh and preferably organically grown herbs if possible as this will make the most potent and effective Master Tonic. Substitute dried bulk herbs only in an emergency if fresh is unavailable.

If one of the ingredients is not available (fresh horseradish is difficult during certain times of the year), then substitute another hot pepper such as habanero.

Nutrition Facts
Master Tonic Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 Tbl)
Calories 15
% Daily Value*
Potassium 11mg0%
Carbohydrates 3.5g1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
master tonic best natural antiviral ingredients

Fire Cider vs Master Tonic

Fire cider is a very similar immunity-boosting tonic to the Master Tonic. The primary difference is that most versions of fire cider contain honey to mitigate the strong taste.

Fire cider is available for purchase from a number of companies in recent years.

This brand is one of the best if you prefer not to make your own full strength Master Tonic at home. However, homemade is more potent and cost-effective per dose.

More Information

Elderberry Syrup to Boost Immunity
Onion Poultice for Congestion
Power Shot: Best Green Juice for Congestion
Best Natural Antibiotics and How to Use Them
The Best Cough Expectorant You’ve Never Tried

FacebookPinEmailPrint
Category: DIY, Immune support, Natural Remedies
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: Amazon #1 bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

You May Also Like

Diluting DMSO to Desired Strength for Various Home Remedy Uses

Move Over Prozac – There’s a New Game in Town (and It Won’t Kill Your Sex Life or Keep You Awake At Night)

homemade magnesium sulfate paste in small containers with bamboo spoon

How to Make Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) Paste

low oxalate powdered greens in a white cup

How to Make Green Vegetable Powder (low oxalate)

5 Natural Remedies to Eliminate Leg Cramps for Good

5 Natural Remedies to Eliminate Leg Cramps for Good!

raw L. reuteri yogurt with a drizzle of honey in red dish

L. Reuteri Yogurt Review. How to Make It with Raw Milk

Going to the Doctor a Little Too Often?

Get a free chapter of my book Traditional Remedies for Modern Families + my newsletter and learn how to put Nature’s best remedies to work for you today!

We send no more than one email per week. You will never be spammed or your email sold, ever.
Loading

Reader Interactions

Comments (327)

  1. Picca

    Mar 30, 2017 at 2:26 am

    1 month in a cool and dark space. (i.e. cupboard, garage shelf)

    Reply
  2. Picca

    Mar 30, 2017 at 2:25 am

    5 stars
    My mom used to make me drink a shot of this every morning with a chaser of barley powder and orange juice. Not only can I now eat the spiciest of fare and enjoy the flavor, I didn’t get my first cold until around age 11 after not taking this for over a year. We even lived in different countries and I didn’t get sick. Anyway, this stuff works. Glad the recipe’s on the internet.

    Side note: Add habanero and ghost chilli peppers.

    Reply
  3. Andrea

    Mar 29, 2017 at 8:47 am

    ***do you think it would be ok to add a little turmeric root or keep that seperate

    Reply
  4. Andrea

    Mar 29, 2017 at 8:45 am

    As a family of 6 I am always trying different natural ways to guard our family against outside interference. However costly ingredients turn me away from some that may have been very beneficial. From everything that I read, this just really makes since and thank you before I even make it (because OH YES! I am making it) it sounds just right for my family.

    Reply
  5. Anna Belle Smith

    Mar 27, 2017 at 10:42 am

    5 stars
    Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe. We are flu free in our home this winter for the first time in YEARS.

    Reply
  6. Jennifer Jordan

    Feb 10, 2017 at 6:24 pm

    Why do you recommend not diluting it when you drink it?

    Reply
  7. Jenn

    Feb 5, 2017 at 3:44 pm

    How long do you have to let this sit before you drink it?

    Reply
  8. Raina

    Jan 21, 2017 at 6:49 pm

    I had shingles and used this, and only this, to fight it. It worked amazingly!! I had a very mild case. Only got a red, flat rash that never broke out into the oozing blisters. My pain was minimal and I never missed one day of work. Thank you for sharing this wonderful, easy, cheap, and most of all, powerful recipe!

    Reply
  9. Jenny

    Dec 23, 2016 at 7:58 am

    Sarah- could we just put everything into a nutrabullet before adding acv? If not why? Thanks Jenny

    Reply
    • Sarah

      Dec 23, 2016 at 8:15 am

      I am not familiar with this appliance. It would probably work fine, but I’ve not prepared the Master Tonic this way before.

  10. Jeffrey

    Dec 18, 2016 at 10:44 am

    I definitely want to make this; however, I had an MRT (Mediator Release Test) done through my GAPS practitioner and it revealed that apples were reactive for me presently. Is there an alternative I might use? For salad dressings, I presently use a honey vinegar I get from a seller in Virginia. So, thoughts for a substitute for ACV in this recipe? If there is none, please let me know. I’ll still make it as is for my family.

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »
4.49 from 52 votes (19 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Sidebar

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet

5 Secrets to a Strong Immune System

Loading

The Healthy Home Economist

Since 2002, Sarah has been a Health and Nutrition Educator dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. Read More

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Check Out My Books

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet

5 Secrets to a Strong Immune System

Loading

Contact the Healthy Home Economist. The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. By accessing or using this website, you agree to abide by the Terms of Service, Full Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Affiliate Disclosure, and Comment Policy.

Copyright © 2009–2025 · The Healthy Home Economist · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.