Making herbal cough drops is very easy to do. It is also very satisfying and healing to make one’s own medicine. For generations people have used herbal throat lozenges to soothe coughs and bronchial ailments. These homemade lozenges will be great to have on hand during the upcoming cold and flu season!
Obviously these will be made ahead of time. It is a good idea to keep a supply on hand during the winter months. These can be made and stored for up to 8 weeks or longer.
The advantage of homemade cough drops is they don’t contain any dyes or un needed ingredients or additives. They are all natural. Being able to grow and make your own medicine is also rewarding. Even if you have to mail order your herbs , like myself, you can still make herbal cough drops.
First of all you will want to choose which herbs to use in your cough drops. There are many to choose from.
Peppermint- peppermint contains the volatile oil menthol which helps soothe the bronchial and help eases sore throats.
Spearmint- just like peppermint but some think it works even better!
Ginger-soothing and great tasting.
Horehound- horehound had been used for decades for coughs and bronchial upsets. It is a great herb for breaking up congestion. It contains murubiin which stimulates bronchial secretions.
Thyme- thyme is another great herb that has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. It is very useful for treating coughs and colds.
Mullein- mullein is an herb that will help soothe the bronchial and lungs. It is extremely gentle and effective. IT will help ease coughs.
Marshmallow- marshmallow is very soothing and will help shrink inflamed bronchial making it easier to breathe.
Slippery Elm- like marshmallow this herb is used to help relieve inflammation of the bronchial.
Fennel- fennel is soothing to irritated throats and helps relieve coughing fits.
You can mix and match what herbs you might have on hand or what you are growing in your garden. Or else use a little bit of each! There is no exact recipe so don’t be afraid to experiment according to your own preferences.
First you will want to gather your supplies. You will need the following ingredients to make herbal cough drops;
1 cup dried herbs (mix and match according to your preference and what you have on hand)
3 cups boiling water
3 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons peppermint extract if desired
Candy thermometer
First you will want to steep the dried herbs in the tea. I like to make it nice and strong and steep for about 30 minutes or so. Strain well using a tea press or cheesecloth.
Next add brown sugar over medium heat and bring to a boil slowly. be sure to keep stirring constantly. When the brown sugar herbs mixture reaches 290 to 300 degrees and pulls apart in threads it is done. At this point remove from heat and add the peppermint extract if desired.
Next you can then proceed to pull the mixture like taffy and make little balls. Or the easiest and fastest thing to do is spread over a cookie sheet. When the herbal mixture it hardens you can then break into pieces. Use wax paper to store them. They will keep for awhile.
Herbal cough drops are a great way to treat your cough and cold symptoms naturally. Making them yourself is also a gratifying process. You can get your family involved! Also you can be sure your children will be more excited to take medicine they helped create.
