Would you like to alleviate arthritis pain without drugs? Many people would, especially when they learn about potential NSAID side effects such as bleeding ulcers or cardiovascular complications. But what can you use to ease the pain? Quite a few folks are enthusiastic about a gin-raisin remedy. What would you like to know about it?
How Much Alcohol Is There in the Gin-Raisin Remedy?
Q. I’m interested in trying gin-soaked raisins for my arthritis pain. What is the percentage of alcohol in the raisins after they have been soaked in gin?
A. When we first started writing about this home remedy, we had the raisins tested with chromatography. In nine raisins (the recommended daily dose), there is approximately one drop of alcohol.
Will the Gin-Raisin Remedy Interfere with a Breathalyzer Test?
We have had questions about the possibility of failing a Breathalyzer test after eating gin-soaked raisins. While one drop of alcohol is a very small quantity, it might in theory be enough to mess up the test. So we recommend not taking the raisin just before you might be subjected to a test.
You can learn more about the gin-raisin remedy and many other non-drug approaches in our Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis. This 80-page online resource is available for $4.99 at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. You will be sent a link that allows you to consult it whenever you wish.
How to Make Gin-Soaked Raisins:
One detail-oriented reader sent a very complete recipe for gin-soaked raisins. Here it is:
Gin-Raisin Remedy:
Ingredients
London Dry Gin, 15 ounces, by liquid measure (NOT CHEAP GIN, cheap doesn’t work. I have used Tanqueray and Beef Eaters, both work. It is vital to have the botanicals, juniper berries, orange peel, etc that are in the imported London Dry Gin)
Golden Raisins, 15 oz box
Wide mouth, quart mason jar with a lid (or something that is about the same)
Method
1. Pour the raisins out and pick out the darker raisins, the stems and any leaf pieces. (Stems and leaves get stuck in my teeth, and the darkest raisins are too dry.)
2. Put them in the jar.
3. Pour 15 ounces (liquid measure) over the raisins and put on the lid. (I use the wide mouth plastic lids, Walmart again.)
4. Shake it to break up any clumps.
5. Over the next couple of days turn the jar over from time to time as the raisins plump up.
6. After two days of soaking take off the lid to let the alcohol evaporate (I know, I know…)
7. What I do is eat 10-15 a day. I take a spoon and dip them out.
8. I store it in the fridge since I let the alcohol evaporate.
A few notes:
(1) This took several days to give me any relief.
(2) Several months later, I forgot to take them with me on a trip and it took several days before I started feeling the pain.
(3) Obviously, if you have a problem with alcohol this is not for you.
Our Notes:
When we make the gin-raisin remedy, we put the raisins in a wide flat bowl, glass or ceramic, barely cover them with gin, and leave the bowl uncovered so the gin can evaporate. Once there is no liquid in the bottom of the bowl, we put them in a closed container. It doesn’t have to be refrigerated. Raisins don’t generally go bad. The usual dose is nine raisins a day.
