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Q. You've written about gin-soaked raisins on several occasions. My grandmother used to make them. She lived in an old farmhouse and had to go down steps to wash her laundry and up stairs to get to her bed. She took the raisins every day and she could walk up the stairs without holding on after starting to eat them.
I have now started using them myself. I have a torn ACL in my left knee and other cartilage damage in my right knee. I cannot explain the difference, but I must say that I have found no pills that can match the relief I have with the raisins.
A. We don't know the origins of this home remedy, but apparently it was popular in your grandmother's day. It is still popular with readers of this column as a natural way of easing arthritis pain.
To prepare this remedy, put golden raisins in a shallow container and pour in just enough gin to cover. Allow the gin to evaporate and eat nine raisins each day. Sulfite-sensitive people should substitute dark raisins.
We include a more detailed recipe for this as well as many other natural approaches in our Guide to Home Remedies.
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I am a walking testimonial to the effectiveness of the raisin remedy for any kind of inflammation-caused pain. For 2 years or so I had been taking a teaspoon of gin soaked raisins to help eliminate severe tendon-type pain in my ankles. At one point my ankles and feet were so bad I questioned whether I could keep up my secular work. I have a landscape maintenance business. I ran out of raisins a few weeks ago and got lackadasical about making some more. After about 10 days my ankles began to hurt again. It only took me a minute to figure out what was wrong - I needed my raisins. ~ Cindy
Does vodka work as well as gin to soak the raisins?
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: WE HAVE ONLY HEARD ABOUT BENEFIT FROM GIN.
I only wish the raisin remedy worked for me, but after several weeks there is no improvement in my joint discomfort.
In the past, I have seen in print the kind of gin to use , and there is a difference. Can it be sloe gin? Also, I had no idea that either color raisin was important.
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: SOME PEOPLE REPORT SUCCESS WITH GIN, OTHERS WITH SLOE GIN. EXPERIMENT AND LET US KNOW WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.
question:
My husband takes several medications for various illnesses and is not supposed to have any liquor. How will the small amount of gin affect the medications he takes? We would like to try the gin soaked raisins.
How long does it take for the gin to evaporate?
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: IT MAY TAKE A WEEK TO TEN DAYS FOR THE GIN TO EVAPORATE. AT THAT POINT, THOUGH, THERE IS ONLY ONE DROP OF ALCOHOL IN 9 RAISINS.
Just wondering if this remedy might be OK for those of us who are diabetic??
After preparing the gin soaked raisins do you put anything over the bowl or do you leave it in the open air?
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: AFTER THE GIN HAS EVAPORATED, KEEP THE RAISINS IN A CONTAINER WITH A TIGHT LID.
After I pour the gin over the raisins do I leave the bowl uncovered so that the gin can evaporate into the air or should I cover the bowl with Saran Wrap (or something similar)?
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: LEAVE THE BOWL UNCOVERED, OR USE A PAPER TOWEL TO KEEP OUT DUST AND PET FUR BUT ALLOW EVAPORATION.
After reading about gin soaked golden raisins a few months ago I made a batch according to your recipe. I used Bombay sapphire gin Sunmaid golden raisins in glass pie plate in cupboard without a cover. the gin hasn't evaporated yet. I'm waiting with high hopes to try. Should I start over? Any suggestions?
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: THE RAISINS DON'T DRY OUT, BUT THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY LIQUID SLOSHING AROUND IN THE PLATE.
The real recipe for this is regular raisins and slow gin.
You take a 750 mm bottle of slow gin and mix in 2 one pound boxes of sun maid raisins place into a large plastic see through container or large glass jar.
Next cover with a screen covering or wax paper with holes punched in the top to get air and let stand in a room temp for 10 days.
After the ten days to remove the white foam from the top and toss.
For the first one week you take one tablespoon just before bed, the following week reduce it to one teaspoon every other day.
My grand mother who was bound to a wheel chair for years started taking this recipe and after 3 months was able to sell the wheel chair on Craig's list and walks now independent.
If you mix juniper berries and raisens, add vodka to cover, and let stand at least a week you get the same results. There is a resin in the Juniper berries which is alcohol soluble. The Norwegians have used juniper (they boiled the whole branches, needles and berries) for centuries (einer log) which they then fermented to a kind of weak beer. It was known to help for arthritis\ rheumatic conditions, common in the cold climate.