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 Alternatives for Arthritis.
