Homemade Cough Drops

Ashley
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Homemade cough drops
Homemade cough drops

Homemade Cough Drops

Homemade cough drops are one of the easiest things to make in the kitchen. You don’t have to be a baker or a cook to make these helpful candies! The nice thing about making your own cough drops is that home is that you can add whatever ingredients you would like. There are a lot of different ingredients you can use, each one having unique properties for treating different things.

If you are new to this blog my name is Ashley and I am a soil scientist. I am located in a Canadian Zone 3 and a USDA Zone 4. I write articles, make YouTube videos, Instagram posts all designed for Canadians and Cold Climate gardeners using science-based methods. If you are looking for anything specific be sure to let me know in the comments down below.

The steps for making DIY cough drops are the same regardless of what herbs you add in. The herbs used will be boiled in a strong tea for 15 minutes and ½ a cup of the tea will be used per batch. The typical volume per herb is one tablespoon and there is no limit to the number of herbs your can use. 

For more DIY recipes and gardening info for cold climates check out the rest of gardening in canada.

The ingredients needed are:

  1. ½ cup of strongly brewed tea with herbs of your choice
  2. 2 cups sugar
  3. 3/4 cups blackstrap molasses

Try to use organic ingredients when possible. This will help ensure you are exposing your body to the least amount of stress while trying to recover. 

Steps for making DIY cough drops

  1. Oil your candy mould or casserole dish. You can use coconut oil, olive oil. Canola oil or cooking spray.
  2. Strong brew a tea with a tablespoon of each herb boiled for 15 mins.
  3. Add ½ a cup of tea to 2 cups of sugar & ¾ molasses in a pot & stir.
  4. Heat the mixture to 300 Degrees Fahrenheit on high heat, stirring continually the entire time.
  5. If you put a drop into cold water and it goes hard it is officially ready.
  6. Pour the candy mixture into the casserole dish and allow some hardening to take place.
  7. Once the liquid has turned semi-sticky feel free to cut the pieces into candy-sized pieces.

Storing DIY Cough Drops

Once the candies have hardened you can wrap the lozenges in plastic wrap and store them on the shelf for up to one year. If they are in a warm environment they may begin to stick together so using powdered sugar can help avoid this. 

What Herbs Can You Use?

Let’s look at which herbs you can use and what they treat!

If you have a cough then you should consider using these herbs:

  • Turmeric
  • Ginger
  • Marshmallow root
  • Peppermint
  • Masala chai tea
  • Capsaicin

If you have a sore throat consider using the following herbs:

  • Cayenne pepper
  • Garlic
  • Slippery Elm
  • Licorice Root
  • Fenugreek
  • Peppermint
  • Chamomile

Herbs for congestion include the following:

  • Peppermint 
  • Ginger
  • Chamomile 
  • Green 
  • Nettle 
  • Turmeric 
  • Eucalyptus 
  • Licorice Root

Herbs for headaches include the following:

  • Feverfew
  • Butterbur
  • Willow
  • Valerian
  • Coriander seed
  • Dong quai
  • Rosemary

Herbs for joint pain & arthritis include

  • Horseradish
  • Boswellia
  • Cat’s claw

Feel free to add a tablespoon of these herbs to help make your tea. One from each category would be the most helpful! Let us know in the comments what herb combinations you enjoy using.