Q. I’ve been eating gin-soaked raisins for over a year, and it helps me tremendously with my joint pain.
I put the raisins in a casserole dish and, after pouring in the gin, I cover the dish with a dish towel. This allows more of the alcohol to evaporate. I let it sit for nine days, stirring every day or so. Then I place the raisins in a jar with a lid and eat nine daily.
They taste delicious, no alcohol taste whatsoever! If you taste the alcohol, you may not be allowing enough of the gin to evaporate.
A. We appreciate your detailed description for preparing gin-soaked raisins. Many people have reported success with this remedy. But it’s not for everyone. Here is a cautionary tale:
“I am an alcoholic. Up until a few weeks ago I had several years of sobriety. I also have arthritis in my hands and thought about using your raisin and gin recipe. I mistakenly thought the gin would be transformed by the raisins and would be safe for me to use.
“I’m now back in the nightmarish hell of drinking again. Please warn people that if they have a problem with alcohol they should avoid this medicine.”
We have other suggestions for remedies in our Guide to Alternative Treatments for Arthritis that do not require people with alcohol problems to put themselves in danger.
