25 Amish Home Remedies You Might Need Someday

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

The Amish have been one of the few groups in the world that have managed to ignore technology and every other advancement made in Western medicine. They know what they like and they stick to it. Their recipes are to die for. Their woodworking is some of the best in the world and their home remedies have kept them alive for generations. How do they do it?

They rely on healing practices that have been proven to be effectiveover and over again. When you think about the state of the world, don’t you want to have a backup plan to handle illnesses and injuries if you can’t run to the doctor? Imagine not being able to make your child feel better because there isn’t any Children’s Tylenol available.

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Turns out, you really don’t need all that stuff. You can take care of you and your family without ever visiting a CVS. Think of the money you can save now and the side effects you can eliminate by using these natural home remedies to cure what ails you.

Most of the ingredients can be found at a health food store. They will generally be offered for sale in large containers. You scoop what you want into a bag and pay by the pound. You will be surprised to discover just how inexpensive these roots and powders really are.

1. Decongestant

Stuffy noses and tights chests can be relieved with a few herbs.

• 2 tsp. dried or chopped peppermint leaves
• 1 tsp. rosemary
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1-quart water

Add the herbs to a pot of water, cover and simmer for ten minutes. Place a towel over your head and removed the lid on the pot. Lean over the steam and inhale several times. The vapors act almost instantaneously. Inhale the steam for several minutes. You’ll get quick relief. You can repeat this several times until the congestion has cleared.

2. Fever Reducer

Reduce fevers without medicine. Sidenote, low-grade fevers are not something that need to be treated. They are doing their job.

• 1 cup of water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of white willow bark
• Honey for taste

Bring the water and willow bark to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for ten minutes. Strain the bark from the water and sip the tea. You can add honey to make it taste better.

3. Painkiller

Powdered poke root mixed with some water to make a paste applied to the bottom of the feet is said to remove pain anywhere in the body.

4. Indigestion or Upset Stomach

Licorice root boiled in water and drank as a tea will help soothe an upset tummy. Licorice root is naturally sweet, but you can add honey to sweeten it even further. You only need about a tablespoon to two cups of water. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for five minutes.

5. High Blood Pressure

A teaspoon of honey with each meal can help lower blood pressure naturally.

6. Burn Treatment

A thin layer of raw honey over a burn and then wrapped with clean non-stick gauze or a cloth will help heal the wound. Honey is a natural antiseptic and antibiotic. It will kill off any infection.

7. Wild Cherry Bark Cough Syrup

This is good to have on hand for flu season.

• 2 parts wild cherry bark
• 1 part licorice root
• 1 part ginger root
• 1 part cinnamon bark
• 1 part fennel seeds
• 1 part elecampane
• 1/8 part orange peel
• Sweetener – raw honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup

Combine everything except for the cherry bark and sweetener in a pot and cover with water. Simmer until half the water is gone. Remove from heat and add the wild cherry bark. Stir, cover the pot and allow it to sit for four to twelve hours. Strain the mixture.

Pour the leftover liquid into a large measuring glass and then add honey to double the amount. If you have a cup of liquid, you’ll add two cups of honey to make your syrup. Store in a clean jar, sealed and stored in the refrigerator.

8. Itching

Itching from bug bites or a rash can be cured with a little apple cider vinegar rubbed on the area.

9. Digestive Issues

Slice a few pieces of ginger into a cup of water and heat for a minute or until about as hot as a cup of coffee. Add honey for flavor and sip. This is a common cure for morning sickness.

10. Bruises, Sprains and Swelling

Plantain is the go-to plant for many Amish remedies. Plantain is a common weed, not bananas. There are a couple of options. Some will have you mash up the plantain leaves to create a paste that is then applied to the area. Wrap the afflicted area and continue applying fresh paste until the swelling is down.

Another option is chopping the leaves and putting in water as hot as a person can stand and soaking the area—assuming it’s a foot, hand or what not.

11. Bites and Stings

Plantain is back again! The most common and easiest way to use plantain for bites and stings is to find a plant, you can wash it if you want, chew it a bit to macerate and then put on the sting. You can use a mortar and pestle if you prefer. It also has antibacterial qualities which can prevent infection if you’ve been scratching.

12. Inflammatory Bowel Issues

There are many remedies, but again, plantain is an option. Collect plantain leaves and wash them thoroughly. Place them in a bowl and pour boiling water over the leaves. Allow the water to cool. Strain the leaves from the water and pour into a jar. A cup of tea, sweetened with honey if you like, can help reduce inflammation that can cause gastrointestinal issues.

13. Bruises, Burns and Skin Ulcers

Like most Amish medicine, this comes from the Native Americans. It was used to treat open wounds as well as swelling from bruising or strains.

• 1 1/2 lb. bittersweet root
• 1 1/2 lb. black Alder
• 1/2 lb. hops
• 1/2 lb. plantain leaves
• 1 tobacco plug cut in bits

Place ingredients in a pot with enough water to cover. Simmer for an hour. Strain the liquid, using your hand to mash liquid from the ingredients. Return to the pot and boil until you have half the liquid you started with. Add one pound of unsalted butter, one ounce of beeswax and one ounce of rosin. Simmer until the water is gone and you’re left with a salve. Store in a jar.

14. Sore Throat

Add half a teaspoon of powdered golden seal root to one pint of boiling water. Let simmer and then drink as a hot tea to treat a sore throat.

15. Liver Problems

If you are experiencing pain, nausea and other signs of a struggling liver, dandelion is the cure.

• 4 cups filtered water
• 2 tablespoons dandelion root, roasted or unroasted
• 2 tablespoons dandelion leaf, optional
• Raw honey (optional)

Bring the water to a boil and add in the dandelion root and leaves if using. Let steep for ten minutes. Sweeten with honey.

16. Burn Ointment

This is one of the tried-and-true burn and wound ointments the Amish love to use. It is a lot like using the plain honey option, but lanolin, olive oil, comfrey root and aloe vera gel are blended into the honey. They key is to apply the salve and then cover with burdock leaves.

17. Horehound Cough Syrup

Another cough syrup that can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

• 1 oz. fresh or dried horehound leaves
• 1 pint boiling water
• 3 cups honey, more or less

Bring the water to a boil and add the horehound leaves. Let simmer for ten minutes. Strain the leaves from the water. Measure the water you have left and add twice as much honey. Mix well, pour in a jar and store in the refrigerator. A teaspoon up to four times a day can help clear up phlegm and congestion.

18. Cold and Flu

A common Amish remedy for handling fevers, sore throats and stuffy noses is actually good and kids will even like it.

• 1 tablespoon of black currant jam or jelly
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 pint of water
• Honey to taste

Mix everything together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for ten minutes. Drink several times a day.

19. Amish Elixir for Pain

This is one of one of those multiuse tonics that can treat internal and external pain.

• 1/2 cup dry dandelion flowers, leaves, and roots (1 cup fresh)
• 1/4 cup dry rosemary leaves (1/2 cup fresh)
• 2 cups raw apple cider vinegar (with “the mother”)
• A glass jar with a tight-fitting lid
• A piece of cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer
• A dark glass bottle for storage

Place dandelion and rosemary in a jar. Pour the apple cider vinegar over the leaves. Seal the jar with a lid and place in a cool dark place or the refrigerator for two weeks. Gently swirl or shake the jar at least once a day. After two weeks, strain the liquid and store in a dark glass bottle.

You can use this remedy directly on the skin to help with bruises or arthritis pain. You can also heat the elixir and soak a towel to make a warm compress. To take orally, add one to two teaspoons to a glass of water and drink.

20. Leg Cramps

Leg cramps caused by a hard workout or just a part of aging can be alleviated with this tonic.

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses
• ½ teaspoon of fresh grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon of honey.

Add all ingredients to a glass of warm water. Stir well and drink before bedtime.

21. Frost Bite

Frost beat can be dangerous if not treated quickly. The Amish have a treatment that might save your fingers, toes and nose.

• 1 ounce olive oil
• 1 ounce turpentine
• 1 ounce ammonia

Mix well and rub a little on the frostbitten skin.

22. Migraines

This is a quick and easy cure. Peel and slice a raw potato. Toss in a blender or mash with a potato masher to get the juice. Pour the juice into warm and water and drink. The potassium in the potatoes helps alleviate the migraine.

23. Garlic Plaster

It is exactly what it sounds like. Mince several garlic cloves and then add olive oil to create a thick paste. The paste is spread over the chest and covered with a clean cloth. This will help relieve stubborn chest congestion.

24. Fungal Infections

Ringworm, athletes foot and other skin fungus can be troublesome. The Amish will brew black walnut hulls in water. Apply the tonic to the area twice a day until it is cured.

25. Dandruff

Boil one tablespoon of nettle tea in a quart of water. Massage the liquid into the scalp to rid yourself of a dry scalp.

Amish health remedies have a lot to do with personal preference. There are countless cold and flu recipes. You can experiment with what works best for you or use what you have available. While most of these remedies are safe, pay attention to any signs someone is having a bad reaction.

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