Make Homemade Cough Drops

Whether it be the dead of winter or the high life of summer, colds and allergies seem to pop up out of nowhere and catch us completely off guard. Hand-in-hand with these seasonal problems comes the dreaded cough. While cough syrup can be taken to remedy these coughing spells, it should only be taken in moderation to avoid any unwanted side effects such as drowsiness. You can use cough drops with natural herbal ingredients to soothe your symptoms. You can either buy these drops in the store or learn to make your own at home with a few simple ingredients and tools.

Ingredients

Ginger Honey Cough Drops

• 1.5 inch segment of fresh ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1.5 cups water
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar, for dusting

Honey Herbal Cough Drops

• 1 1/2 cups honey
• 1/2 cup strong herbal tea
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

No Cook Herbal Cough Lozenges

• 1 cup of slippery elm powder
• 4-6 tablespoons of raw honey
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 10 drops of orange essential oil
• 6 drops of lemon essential oil

Steps

Making Ginger Honey Cough Drops

1. Gather your supplies. For this recipe you will need the following items:
   • Paring knife
   • Zester
   • Saucepan
   • Candy thermometer
   • Candy molds
   • Airtight storage container.
2. Prepare the spices and lemon zest. Start by peeling the ginger with a paring knife or vegetable peeler.
   • Fresh ginger is available at most supermarkets in the produce section.
   • Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used in cough remedies as an effective antihistamine and chest decongestant.
   • Cut the ginger into very thin slices using a paring knife.
   • Use a zester to get at least 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
3. Place the ginger slices, a cinnamon stick, and 1.5 cups of water into a saucepan. Bring this to a boil over high heat.
   • You will know when the pot is at a full boil when you have a constant stream of large bubbles coming to the surface and a good deal of steam.
   • Once the pot has come to a full boil, reduce the heat to low.
4. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes. Then remove the ginger and cinnamon stick.
   • The easiest way to remove the spices is with a strainer.
   • Place a strainer into a clean saucepan.
   • Pour the hot mixture through the strainer.
   • The ginger and cinnamon will be left in the strainer and the liquid will be caught in the clean saucepan underneath.
5. Add 1.5 cups of sugar and 1/2 honey to the spiced liquid. Bring this mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
   • Honey has been studied in clinical trials. It has been proven to be as effective as cough syrup in suppressing coughs.
   • You will want the sugar to dissolve.
   • You can tell if the sugar is dissolved if you take a spoon of the liquid and cannot see any grains of sugar in it.
   • Once the sugar is dissolved, you will use a candy thermometer to get this syrup to the hard-crack candy stage.
6. Place a candy thermometer into the mixture in the saucepan and stop stirring. You will use this to monitor the heat.
   • The candy liquid will need to be heated to a high temperature in order to harden into lozenges.
   • It is very important that you closely watch the temperature of the syrup so it doesn't burn onto the saucepan or become too hot to form hard cough drops.
   • The goal temperature for hard-crack lozenges is 300-305 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Watch the temperature of the liquid very closely. It will rise quickly as you cook the liquid.
   • As the liquid rises in temperature, it may darken. This is expected as the sugar in the syrup caramelizes.
   • When the candy thermometer reaches 300-305 degrees, remove the liquid from heat.
   • You will now add the final ingredients before pouring the mixture to cool in candy molds.
8. Add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of lemon juice to the hot candy liquid.
   • Take caution when adding the juice and zest.
   • As you add the juice, it may cause the hot liquid to splash.
   • Stir completely to make sure the liquid is evenly mixed.
9. Grease candy your candy molds. You can use unflavored cooking spray to do so.
   • Carefully pour the hot liquid into the molds.
   • Take care to fill only the small candy mold and not to spill too much of the liquid over the top each.
   • This recipe will make about 50 small lozenge sized pieces.
10. Allow the cough drops to cool in the candy molds completely. This will take an hour or more.
    • When the cough drops are cool, crack them out of the molds onto wax paper.
    • To crack the drops out of the candy molds, tap the mold gently on a hard surface. The cough drops should fall out.
    • You may have to bend the candy mold tray in order to get the cough drops out, similar to cracking ice.
11. Put the cough drops in a lidded jar with 1/2 cup superfine sugar. If you don't have superfine sugar at home, you can put regular granulated sugar in a food processor or blender. Process this until it is a finer consistency.
    • Shake the jar to coat the cough drops with sugar.
    • This will prevent them from sticking together.
    • You can also use powdered sugar to coat the drops, but it tends to clump.
12. Store the cough drops in an airtight container or jar. You don't need to refrigerate them.
    • Use them as needed.
    • Since these don't contain any of the common drugs found in cough syrups, these are ideal if you want to avoid the side effects of over-the-counter cough remedies.
    • The cough drops will have a pleasant, sweet taste of lemon, ginger, and cinnamon.

Making Herbal Honey Cough Drops

1. Make a strong herbal tea. There are several suggestions for herbal medicines that are effective at treating coughs and colds.
   • Elderberry and elderflower has been used to relieve congestion.
   • Slippery elm has been traditionally used by Native Americans to treat coughs and gastrointestinal conditions.
   • Chamomile may be an effective treatment for coughs as it can help to reduce inflammation and mucus production.
   • To make a strong tea, place a generous pinch of each herb into a cup of water in a saucepan.
   • Heat the water and herbs to a simmer on high heat, then cover and reduce the heat.
   • Let the tea steep for 15 to 20 minutes over the lowest heat.
   • Strain out the herbs and reserve 1/2 cup of the tea for the cough drops.
2. Prepare sugar molds. You can make DIY molds rather than using candy molds to make cough drops using sugar and a baking sheet.
   • In a 9 x 13 pan or any cookie sheet, add a few cups of powdered sugar.
   • Use your finger or a measuring spoon to make indentations in the sugar.
   • This is where you will pour the syrup for your cough lozenges.
3. Combine all of the ingredients for the cough drops and heat them. Start by putting the 1/2 cup of herbal tea from Step 1 into a saucepan, then add 1.5 cups of honey and 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract.
   • Use a medium to medium-high heat to heat up the ingredients.
   • Stir constantly to make sure all the ingredients are mixed.
   • Clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pan to monitor the temperature.
4. Check the temperature of the liquid frequently. You will want it to get to about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. This will allow the liquid to harden into lozenges as it cools.
   • The mixture may get slightly foamy as it heats up.
   • If this occurs, give the cough drop liquid a stir.
   • You will be able to tell once the mixture gets near to the correct temperature as it will thicken.
   • This process generally takes about 30 minutes.
   • Once the liquid is at a temperature of 300 degrees, remove it from the heat.
5. Transfer the hot mixture into a Pyrex measuring cup to pour it into your sugar molds. Pour slowly and carefully.
   • Pour the hot liquid into each of the small depressions in the powdered sugar on the baking sheet you prepared earlier.
   • Alternatively, you can use a greased candy mold.
   • If you don't have a candy mold or don't want to use sugar, you can pour the liquid onto a piece of greased parchment paper. Be aware that this is the messiest way to do this.
6. Allow the cough drops to harden and cool in the sugar or candy molds before storing. Try not to disturb the cough drops as they cool.
   • Once the drops have cooled, carefully move them out of their sugar molds. If using candy molds, crack the cough drops out of the molds.
   • Coat the cough drops in powdered sugar.
   • You can store these in single layers between wax paper in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.
   • You can also freeze them between layers of wax paper. If you choose to do so, they will last for several months.

Preparing No Cook Herbal Cough Lozenges

1. Gather your herbal ingredients. This recipe calls for slippery elm powder, cinnamon, honey, orange essential oil and lemon essential oil.
   • You can buy slippery elm bark and the essential oils from most health food stores, herbal shops, or online herbal retailers such as Mountain Rose Herbs.
   • Slippery elm contains a substance called mucilage. This becomes gel-like when combined with water or honey. This can help coat the mouth, throat, and digestive tract.
   • Native Americans used this herbal remedy for centuries to calm coughs and gastrointestinal problems.
   • Slippery elm has not been shown to cause any medical complications, unlike other herbal supplements. Little formal research has been conducted to show how effective it is at treating medical conditions.
   • Remember that clinical studies have shown that honey is a very effective treatment for coughs.
   • Cinnamon may also have some effectiveness at controlling a bad cough.
2. Place 1 cup of slippery elm powder, {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of honey, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon into a bowl. Stir very thoroughly to combine.
   • If the honey is too stiff has crystallized, try warming up the jar under warm water.
   • This should thin the honey or reconstitute it.
   • Sometimes this mixture is very dry and crumbly. If this is the case, you can add two more tablespoons of honey to make it easier to work with.
   • When finished the mixture should resemble a soft dough. It may be sticky because of the honey.
3. Add the essential oils to the mixture. Use a dropper to make sure you get the right amount of drops for each.
   • You will need 10 drops of orange essential oil and 6 drops of lemon essential oil.
   • Mix these into the cough lozenge mixture thoroughly.
   • You want to make sure they are incorporated evenly into the dough.
4. Roll small portions of the lozenge dough into small balls. These should be roughly the size of a teaspoon.
   • Place these on a sheet of wax paper or parchment.
   • You can lay this on a counter or a baking sheet.
   • Place the lozenges in an area where they won't be disturbed.
   • These cough lozenges may not be very attractive but they contain effective ingredients.
5. Let the lozenges dry for at least 24 hours before storing or using. You may need to leave them longer if you live in a humid climate.
   • To store the lozenges, wrap them in wax paper.
   • Alternatively, you can store them in an airtight jar.
   • These will last approximately 3 weeks when stored properly.
   • The recipe should make about 36 lozenges.

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Sources and Citations

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• Get Rid of a Dry Cough
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• Get Rid of Phlegm in Your Throat Without Medicine
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